Empire
by queenlomarie
Summary: Only the feared survive in Woodcrest. Only the powerful survive in Woodcrest. Time has taken it's toll, and so have the lies, secrets, and broken promises and dreams. It's the perfect place to build an Empire.
1. Prologue

**Hey guys!**

 **This is a story that I've been brainstorming to write for a little while. I had wanted to begin this after ending No Boundaries or Smoke and Shadows, but I've continuously have had writers block for both those stories and I don't want to forget this story in the process. This is gonna be a little different than my other stories, and I don't know how long it'll be between wait times for this story to be updated. I hope y'all like this story, I have a pretty good idea as to what I wanna do with it.**

* * *

Woodcrest had always been a white-washed, rich city. It just always had been. The mayor, a Mr. Wuncler, was a pompous, rich white man with one grandson, Ed the third, and he ran Woodcrest with an iron fist. He was a manipulative, egotistical, greedy man that did everything for the benefit of himself. His grandson was less of a businessman and more of a wanna-be, self-proclaimed thug.

But this was where a Mr. Robert Freeman decided to home himself and his newly orphaned grandsons. Against their wishes, Robert Freeman had moved the trio to the suburbs of Woodcrest just one year after the sudden death of their parents. Robert had seen this as a chance to start fresh, to die in peace, but his grandsons were not too enthralled about the thought of leaving their comfy home in the Southside of Chicago to the suburbs of a racist Woodcrest in Maryland.

Robert had two grandsons, who were two years apart. The eldest was Huey Freeman, a supposed domestic terrorist and black rights activist. Huey had a large, unmanageable black afro and dark, mocha colored skin. His eyes were the color of a deep red wine, and his brows were always furrowed into a scowl. He rarely smiled, and when he did, it was only a hint of one. Huey was extremely serious and extremely smart to the point of annoyance. Polar opposite of him was his younger brother, Riley Freeman, who was eight. Riley was a wannabe gangster and graffiti artist that hung out with the bad kids and picked a fight with anyone. To a stranger, Riley was mistaken as Huey's twin brother, and there was no surprise in that; Riley shared his brothers dark skin and wine colored eyes, but he kept his smaller afro pulled back into sturdy cornrows. Riley was street-smart rather than book smart, and although he could never outdo his older brother, he liked to think that he could.

Upon arriving in Woodcrest, the two met two young girls that would, unknowingly, forever be a part of their lives.

Huey was the first to meet his destined soulmate; the sweet, friendly, outgoing, yet naïve Jazmine Dubois, who was his age. As fate would have it, the two were neighbors and lived on the same street. Jazmine was a biracial young girl; her father, a lawyer named Tom Dubois, was black, while her mother, a housewife named Sarah Dubois, was white. Jazmine herself was a cute kid; she had a large, strawberry blonde afro and skin that was too dark to mistake her for being white, but too light to be mistaken as black. Her eyes were the biggest emerald green eyes Huey had ever seen in his life. Jazmine met Huey and was stuck to him like glue; she followed him everywhere, and seemingly had a crush on him.

Meanwhile, Riley had befriended a Cindy McPhearson over basketball. Cindy was polar opposite to Jazmine; Cindy was a white girl: both her parents were white, and lived closer to the heart of Woodcrest. Cindy was a year older than Riley, and was a tough, no nonsense kind of girl with long blonde hair, fair skin, and the biggest, bluest eyes Riley had ever seen. She was a tomboy, no doubt about that, and played a mean game of basketball. Despite the obvious similarities between the two, they never even realized the attraction they shared until high school.

Huey and Riley went on many misadventures in Woodcrest for the next couple of years; in and out of trouble with the law, their grandfather, and each other. Both brothers had each other's backs regardless, and they never let the other fall down alone.

As they matured, so did their outlooks on other things that seemed trivial to them as children; one such thing was their love life.

The hardened Huey was the first to admit his feelings for Jazmine, who had begun to like him in their middle school years. By their sophomore year, Huey had finally gained up the gall to ask her out, and of course, Jazmine said yes. Riley was next to ask out Cindy his freshman year of high school, to which Cindy happily obliged.

The two girls also unknowingly became the best of friends; while they had no idea who the other was in middle school, once Cindy had entered high school a year after Jazmine, the two became inseparable. As they matured, they began to outgrow their childish, old looks for their newly embraced ones; Cindy was becoming less of a tomboy, and Jazmine was becoming less naïve. They embraced these changes together, and quickly became lifelong friends.

Freshman year quickly went into sophomore year, then junior year, and before they knew it, Huey and Jazmine had entered their senior year as a couple. Over the years, Huey had befriended only a few more close friends; the first was Michael Caesar, a young man from Brooklyn who was his age, and Hiro Otomo, a native of Woodcrest who was also Huey's age. Riley had actually befriended Ed the third and his friend, Rummy, at a young age, but in high school became close friends with a Tyrone Banks, a young man who was his age.

Senior year was a whirlwind of preparing for college for the friends, and Huey and Jazmine were getting ready to enter the real world together. They had applied for colleges, scholarships, and were even talking about moving in together over the summer before they entered college.

But one day, something changed. And it would forever alter the lives of everyone in Woodcrest.

* * *

Jazmine Dubois trudged along the sidewalk, her body slouched over. The sky overhead was dark and cloudy, threatening rain. It was only three in the afternoon, but it felt later. She wore a pair of shorts and a tank top with some old, beat up sandals, and her afro was poofed up like never before. The mascara that was once on her eyelashes was now running down her cheeks as she sniffled and hiccuped and sneezed. The air outside was warm and humid, like a usual Woodcrest summer day. Cars barreled down the street to and fro, but Jazmine paid no mind to the tired screeching, the horns honking, and the chatter of people around her.

Her destination was somewhere private, almost secretive; a place she now loathed to find.

It was a week after graduation; Huey and Jazmine had just graduated from Wuncler High School, but there was no need for celebration at this point, not now. So Jazmine forced herself to make the journey, carrying nothing with her but her phone and a crumpled up letter in her right hand.

She diverted off of the sidewalk and began to ascend upwards. The ground was uneven, and it took everything she had to not pitch over and fall into the dirt. She made her way over a hill, and found herself ambling towards a large oak tree that overlooked a part of the bustling city. This was her tree, their tree; hers and Huey's.

However, instead of uniting with a large afro, she sat down shakily next to a sobbing blonde. Cindy McPhearson choked back another loud sob as Jazmine sat down next to her. She turned her head to gaze at her with reddened blue eyes. Jazmine's green eyes were just as red and hardened.

"Did you get one, t-too? "Cindy stammered, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. Jazmine nodded stiffly, producing her crumpled up piece of paper. Cindy pulled out her own from the back pocket of her blue jean shorts, and unfolded it, trying to smooth out the wrinkles she had made.

"I tried calling him, "Cindy went on absently, "b-but he didn't answer. "

"No luck here, "Jazmine murmured hoarsely, "I left him five messages and he hasn't answered any of them. "

Cindy sighed, annoyed, "Is this some kinda joke? "she asked, "I mean seriously, wh-who does this? "tears began falling down her cheeks as she spoke, "This isn't right, this isn't the way you do things. "

"They just didn't have the balls to do it in person, "Jazmine said icily. She stared down at her letter, and read the first few words: 'Dear Jazmine, I'm sorry to tell you like this, but I have to break up with you…'

Jazmine closed her eyes as tears threatened to fall down, and a few did. They stained the paper and made the black ink smear messily. Jazmine then folded the letter back up and tore it in half. She then began to rip the pieces into shreds, the tears flowing down her cheeks rapidly and her breathing becoming heavy. She shook her head and opened her eyes, and she watched the pieces of the letter fly off with a cool breeze.

"There has to be a reason…, "Cindy looked down at her own letter. Jazmine glared at her, "What other reason could there be? "she then asked sharply, "They broke up with us at the same time by writing a fucking letter, Cindy, a fucking letter. "her blood began to boil, "They didn't have the guts to break up with us in person, so wrote out their sob stories on a piece of paper and left them in our mailboxes. They didn't even say goodbye! "

Cindy balled up her fists and propped up her drooping head with them, "I-I can't believe it, "she whispered, "They're gone. "

"They better stay gone now, "Jazmine then said. She took Cindy's letter from her and stood up. Cindy looked up at her from the ground, "Jaz, wait—! "but before she could do anything, Jazmine had ripped up Cindy's break up letter, too, and let the piece fall to the ground. Angrily, Cindy stood up, "What the hell was that for Jazmine? "she demanded, "Just because you wanted to rip up your letter doesn't mean I wanted to! "

"No, we needed to, "Jazmine shot back. Cindy had never known Jazmine to be like this; Jazmine was a sweet, soft-spoken, friendly girl. This Jazmine was full of anger and…hate. Hatred for Huey.

"We needed to destroy those letters, "Jazmine went on. Cindy arched a brow, "Why? "she then asked. Jazmine stared out over the horizon at the city, "Because they don't deserve our tears, Cindy. They left us, not the other way around. They didn't even have the decency to tell us anything. "

"Why do you think they did it? "Cindy sniffed. Jazmine shrugged, "I don't know, but does it really matter anymore? "she turned to her best friend, "They're gone, Cindy. They're gone, and they're never coming back. "

Jazmine turned on her heel and began marching down the hill, away from the tree, for the last time. Cindy followed her, and the fell into step side by side on the sidewalk, "Where are we going? "Cindy inquired, but Jazmine didn't answer. Instead, she led Cindy to the one place they had never planned on visiting: the old Freeman residence.

It loomed over them spookily. There were no cars in the driveway, and the front door was locked. To Cindy's surprise, Jazmine was able to pick the lock with a loose bobby pin, "What are we doing? "Cindy asked. Jazmine shrugged, "We're going inside. "

Inside, it was dark. Jazmine tried to turn on a light, but they were out. She walked through a familiar hallway and into the living room, which was bare except for a few chairs off to the side. Everything had been stripped from the house that had made it a home. She walked into the kitchen and tried to turn on the sink, but that was out, too.

Cindy had made her way up the stairs and into the one room she needed to be in; Riley's room. There was nothing in the room except for the bed frame and the mattress, which was slumped on a wall off to the side. She searched the room for anything that had belonged to Riley, but found nothing. Jazmine had no luck either in Huey's barren and dark room.

They reunited at the bottom of the stairs. Jazmine had gotten there first and sat on the last step, her body leaned against the wall. Cindy joined her, sitting down next to her quietly. She could tell that Jazmine was agitated and angry.

"What do we do now? "Cindy asked. Jazmine sighed, "I hate to say that they broke our hearts, but I think they did. "she admitted, rubbing her cheeks to clean off the dried mascara and tears. Cindy nodded, "Yeah, I do too. "she agreed. She ran a hand through her blonde hair, trying to detangle it some, "But what are we gonna do now? They're not answering, they're not replying to us…, "

Jazmine was silent for a moment, but she finally spoke: "Fuck them, "she said. She then stood up, "Fuck them! "she screamed into the empty house. She marched towards the front door and exited the house, Cindy behind her. Angrily, Jazmine kicked the garage door as they made their way to the sidewalk, "Fuck Huey, fuck Riley, and fuck this house! "she said it so confidently that it scared Cindy, but then Cindy's eyes narrowed.

"Fuck those two dumbass brothers! "she yelled alongside Jazmine. She grabbed a discarded piece of wood that had been left outside and threw it against the house. Cindy kicked at the planted flowers, pulling them out from the ground. Jazmine joined her, and they soon littered the cement with destroyed, wilting flower petals and stems. Jazmine looked down at her finger; she wore a promise ring that Huey had given her after they'd been together for a year. It was a rose gold band that had a small, circular diamond on it; it was beautiful. Jazmine had half the mind to throw it into the abyss of nothingness that was the Freeman house, but she instead slipped it off of her finger and pocketed it, making sure Cindy didn't catch her. With their anger having been released, the two girls linked arms and barreled down the sidewalk, away from the Freeman home. They had never intended to release their anger at a house, but what was done was done. They hadn't even bothered to close the door again.

* * *

A tired and worn out Riley Freeman sat down next to his brother, Huey Freeman, on a plane headed out of Woodcrest. They had just boarded and had been waiting for their grandfather, who was trying to sit down comfortably across from them. He had been fussing the whole way there, the whole time they'd been waiting, and even as they were boarding the plane. Now, Riley rejoined his brother as he stared out of the window, never once turning around.

"What did we just do? "Riley asked absently. It wasn't meant to be answered, but Huey answered anyways, "I don't even know, "he admitted. He leaned back in his seat, staring at the ground. After a few minutes, a flight attendant came by and began helping the passengers buckle into their seats. There were only a few others on the plane besides the three family members, and shortly after this, the two brothers felt the plane begin to move.

"Please do not get up at this time, "someone said over the intercom, "stay seated and wait for the okay from our pilot, thank you. "

Riley released some air and slouched down into his seat some. The plane left the ground, and the two bounced around slightly as the plane began to ascend further into the sky. After a little bit, they were adjusted into their seats and the bumping stopped, and Riley turned to his brother, "Now what? "he asked. He needed his brother to tell him something, anything, that would ease his mind about what had just transpired.

Huey didn't answer for a moment, and Riley was about to ask again when Huey finally spoke: "We just have to survive right now, "his eyes never turned to meet with Riley's, "we have to keep going. "

"I just broke up with my girlfriend man, "Riley shot back angrily, "I may never see her again! "Huey now turned around, his eyes trimmed red, "I just did too, "he retorted, "we both had to, remember? "Riley rolled his eyes, "This is all your fault, Huey, "he mumbled, and Huey sighed, "Maybe it is, but you're partly to blame, too. "he didn't get a reply.

They sat together, quietly, watching the clouds drift by as Woodcrest soon became out of view. Huey turned his head forwards and leaned back into his seat, "We'll fix this one day, "he then stated, but he knew that it was unbelievable.

"You know you can't promise that, "Riley sighed quietly, "That one day isn't today homie. "

"No, but it's the best I can do for now, "Huey replied, "We'll figure something out. We always do. "

"Correction: you always do, "Riley admitted, "I just roll with the punches. "

Huey smirked sadly, "That's really all we're doing right now, "he commented. They stopped talking, and Huey continued to stare out of the window. Riley pulled out his phone and nearly choked at a picture of him and Cindy on his lock screen. Huey didn't hear, he was too busy with his own thoughts. His mind was on Jazmine, his mind was on her because he loved her, and he never got to tell her goodbye.

* * *

 **So this was just a little into intro into what's to come, that'a why it's rather short. I tried to make it as suspenseful as I could, because this is going to be a story full of drama most likely lol. As always, Read and Review, and check out my other stories if you'd like.**

 **xoxo, Queen**


	2. Now

**-Seven years later-**

His phone buzzed loudly beside him as he sat in his desk. He picked it up and squinted at the name on the screen. Rolling his eyes, he clicked his phone back off and continued to stare at his computer screen as he typed, the clicking of the keyboard the only noise in the room. After a few minutes, his phone buzzed again, and this time he chose to ignore it altogether. Sighing, he leaned back in his seat and stared up at the ceiling.

The door to his office opened, and a pair of heels clicked inside. A young woman strolled in, wearing a very business-like outfit in all black and had her brown hair pulled back into a tight, military-like bun. She wore a pair of red framed glasses that she continuously pushed up with her index finger, and her thin lips were pinched together, "Mr. Freeman, you have a letter from Valentina Co., "the woman said plainly. She approached the desk and placed the letter in front of him gently before backing away. Her boss groaned, "Can't they use email like normal businessmen? "he asked absently.

The woman coughed, "Well, you know how Mr. Valentina is. He's very old school…for a young man. "she eyed her boss, "Aren't you going to open it now, sir? "she inquired. He waved her off, "I will, I will, "he muttered. She took this as a dismissal, and subsequently left the room.

Huey Freeman stood up from his chair and turned around, where he was met with a wall of windows that overlooked the city. It was just before sunset, and he normally liked the view from his office, but today he was tired. Today, all he could think about was going home.

His phone buzzed again, and he groaned, "What does she want? "he growled to himself. He picked up his phone and stared at the screen; he had seven text messages from his former "date" from two weeks ago: Clara Davens. Huey had only been on two dates with her before calling it off, but she still wanted to contact him for whatever reason, and it was annoying Huey to the point that he was ready to file a restraining order against her.

Huey sat back down in his chair and fixed his tie. He was done typing up a report on his laptop, and turned it off. He slouched in his chair and clasped his hands together, placing them on his lap idly. He glanced up at the wall to his left, which was decorated in awards, pictures, and so on. Huey decided to leave; he couldn't think anymore.

Grabbing his suit jacket and bag, Huey exited his office, locking it. He passed by several people as he made his way to the elevator, all of which told him pleasantries and goodbyes before he finally made his way into an empty elevator. After a few minutes, Huey reached the last floor and exited the elevator, passing by several more people in the main lobby area of the building. He made his way outside, where his car was waiting for him in the front. A valet stood on the side, Huey's keys in hand. Huey thanked him and took his keys before climbing into his car, a BMW, and drove away.

Huey did not take his work for granted, he was extremely fortunate to have his position and he knew this. But still, sometimes he just needed to get away. But it was hard to get away from work when you live in New York.

Huey had only had his company, Freeman Co., for two years now. But within those two years, Huey had done a lot to rank up in the business world and become a successful businessman. Huey did business with lots of other businesses around New York as well, and one such potential ally was Valentina Co.

His phone rang, and he glanced down at the screen: Riley. He swiped the green button, "Hello? "

"Yo man, "his younger brother, Riley Freeman, said loudly. Huey sighed, "Riley, what is it? "

"Did you get a letter from the Valentina's? "he asked. Huey rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I did, did they send you one too? "he could practically see Riley nodding his head, "Yeah man, why the fuck they gotta send letters though? I'm gonna lose this shit by the time I get home! "

"I don't know, "Huey replied, "Meet me at Sheryl's. "he then instructed. He heard Riley say okay, and he hung up.

Thirty minutes later, Huey was sitting at a table at the same café that was Sheryl's, which was another thirty minutes away from his home, but it was the most familiar thing to him in New York ever since they'd first moved there over 2 years ago. Huey waited only a few minutes before Riley had approached. He wore a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with some Timbs, and his cornrows had been freshly done, "Sorry to keep ya waiting, "Riley said sarcastically, "I got caught up with that mural I've been doing for the fashion show next week. "

Huey nodded, "How's that going? "he asked casually, striking up conversation. Riley shrugged, "It's a hell of a lotta work. White people don't settle for anything less than perfection, and this company has been on my ass about getting every single last detail right and then some. "Riley snickered, "But, they're paying me big bucks for this, so I ain't really complaining. "

"Have you seen granddad today? "Huey then asked. Riley nodded, "Yeah, this morning before I went to paint. Have you? "Riley ordered a glass of coke, while Huey stuck with water, "I did yesterday, but granddad hasn't even called me since then. I was wondering what's up. "

"I don't know, he didn't seem off this morning, "Riley shrugged, "He's been taking his meds faithfully for two months, I'm sure he's fine. "he then pulled out his phone, "I got some pictures of some of the work I did today, wanna see? "he grinned toothily, and Huey had to agree, "Sure, "Riley handed him his phone, and Huey began sliding through the pictures, "Wow, that's very intricate, "Huey commented, "That's probably the most work I've seen you do for one mural. "

"What can I say? "Riley's grin widened, "They love me. "

Riley was an artist at heart, and had turned his one true passion into a business, with the help of Huey. Riley did artwork for people all over New York, and even in other cities. He was known mostly for his murals, and did portraits and sceneries for any occasion. His current project was for a runway show in the heart of New York. They had a theme of "heaven", and Riley was instructed to draw a mural as a background to match the theme. Riley had been working now for 7 weeks, and was planning to be done by the next week.

"So, about the Valentina's, "Riley then said, and Huey groaned inwardly, "What about them? "he asked. Riley shrugged, "You know that we gotta do some kinda business to get them off our backs, right? "he arched a brow, and Huey nodded, "Yeah, but I promise you, none of it is going to be pleasant, not with Miss Valentina trying to run the show. "he warned. Riley nodded, "I know, I know, damn. "

Valentina Corporation was run by the Valentina twins; Nicolas and Nicolette Valentina. The twins were eerily similar in almost every way, and shared a cutthroat and greedy outlook on life. Nicolette, however, was just as bad as her brother, and was often thought to be the one behind everything they did, even though Nicolas took credit for a lot of their work.

"Nicolette's gonna wanna get a full…description of you, "Riley joked, and Huey glared at his brother, "Not funny, "he chided.

"What about that Clara girl? "Riley then asked as their drinks were delivered to them. They ordered and resumed talking, "She keeps calling me even though I told her not to anymore, "Huey replied simply, "I just…, "he trailed off.

Riley's face turned pinched, and he nodded, "Yeah, I know, you just…can't do it anymore. "

There was an awkward silence. The two had agreed to this years ago, when they'd first arrived in New York; they wouldn't talk about their past with anyone, not even with each other. But there were moments in time when they wanted to, even though talking about it could be potentially dangerous, and terribly saddening.

"But aye, I mean after I'm done with this job we can do something, "Riley offered, "We haven't done anything in months, let's go party! Let's live it up, we're still young. I'm barely twenty-three and you're only twenty-five, I'm sure we'll find something for us to do in New York, it's a big city bro. "he chuckled to himself, and Huey cracked a small smile.

They got their food and began eating hungrily.

* * *

Huey and Riley were exactly where they didn't want to be.

They had been invited to a dinner by the Valentina's at their private loft in the downtown New York area, and being businessmen, Huey and Riley couldn't refuse. It had been a week since they'd received letters from Nicolas Valentina. The letters were just invitations to the dinner, with the implication that they were going to "talk business". But upon arrival at seven-thirty in the evening, they were greeted by the smiling faces of Nicolas and Nicolette and were introduced to a few other faces in the game, including Blair Whitfield, Gabriel Maxwell, and Laura de Leon. Throughout the beginnings of the dinner, they talked about nothing other than their personal lives, which bore Huey to death.

Nicolas and Nicolette were both dressed up for the occasion. They both had platinum blonde hair; Nicolas had his cut short with a tuft at the front, and Nicolette had hers going down her back, waved out in loose curls. Both had big hazel eyes and fair skin, and had eerily similar features. The only thing that set the two apart were their heights; Nicolas was at least 5'11, while Nicolette stood a few inches shorter at 5'8. They both were long and lean, and had pearly white teeth that seemed to reflect everything around them when they smiled. They were both about twenty-five, neither Huey nor Riley knew the exact number, and weren't in the position to care or ask. Tonight, they had matched in theme: red. Nicolas wore a dark, velvet wine red suit and black dress shoes with a black tie. Nicolette wore a dark wine red off-the-shoulder dress that touched the floor and had a deep slit on the left side, paired with dark heels and dramatic makeup.

"So, Mr. Huey and Riley Freeman, "Blair said, snapping the two back into reality. Huey nodded, "Yes, Ms. Whitefield? "he wiped his mouth with his napkin. She chuckled, "Please, just Blair if you would, "Blair was a fashion designer that worked for the company Riley had been doing the mural for. She was a young woman with tanned skin, dark brown eyes, and dark brown hair. She smiled, revealing pearly white teeth, "Anyways, it is just baffling to me that you two have already made such a name for yourself when you've only been running a business for two years. "she continued.

Huey nodded, "Yes, well, it took a lot of hard work to get to this point, "Huey said slowly, "And we have not slacked since starting. "

"But I find it odd that we know almost nothing about you, "she pried. "I agree wholeheartedly, "Nicolette chimed in, "How is it that we know nothing about the two of you, when you both most likely know everything about the rest of us? "she smiled at them as she took a long sip from her wine glass. Riley smirked, "We…keep out personal lives quiet, "he stated, "We don't need to be blaring our lives out for everyone to see. "

"Oh come now, we're all friends here, "Blair smiled, but it didn't seem real, "So tell us, we know you both were born in Chicago, but where to after that? "Huey looked at Riley, who shrugged, "We were born in Chicago, "Huey said, "We moved around with our grandfather after our parents died. "

"See, that's something we didn't know, "Blair said, "I am truly sorry for your loss, how old were the two of you? "

"Nine, "Huey answered, "I was nine, Riley was seven. "Riley nodded, "I heard the two of you went to live in Woodcrest…, "Gabriel then said. Riley stiffened, and Huey knocked his knee against Riley's, signaling him to play it cool, "Yes, we lived in Woodcrest for a few years until I graduated high school. "

"Well, that's a long time, "Blair chuckled. Nicolette stood up, "Okay, Blair, I'm sure Huey and Riley are tired of you trying to pry into their lives now, "she gave Blair a look, and Blair sat back further in her seat, "Yes, of course, my apologies. I hadn't meant to be so nosey. "Blair addressed the two.

"Oh, but you always are, "Gabriel mocked under his breath. His comment earned him a deathly glare from Blair, but Gabriel only scoffed at her and turned his attention towards Nicolette, "We're here to talk business, "she began, "and I have some business to talk about. "

* * *

Huey dropped Riley off at his home an hour later. It wasn't too late in the evening for Riley to sleep, though. Riley lived in his own penthouse, which he took pride in. Riley stepped into the elevator and punched the last floor number. He waited, and waited, and after a moment of staring off into space, he heard the elevator ding and open.

Riley stepped out and walked towards his door, which he opened swiftly. Stepping inside, he switched on a light, and he smiled; home.

Riley's penthouse has an overview of the city, which he loved. His was decorated to a T, all courtesy of himself, of course. Riley had an eye for things like this, and it showed in his work and in his home. The main theme he had imposed on his house was grey and black. He had leather black couches, stainless steel grey appliances, sleek black TVs, rugs, and so on. He had pictures of artwork he had done in the past hanging in picture frames on one wall above his TV. Riley entered the living room, where he kicked off his shoes and slipped off his jacket.

Riley loved to be home, even more so because he rarely was. Riley's job may have paid him big bucks, but it was a tiresome job; he was constantly having to move around and travel around New York for his work, which led to long hours and few breaks. He could work on one project for weeks, months even, but it was all worth it in the end. For this last project he did, he painted a whole mural for a fashion show, with all the works, and had earned close to thirty grand due to the intense intricacy this place wanted. This was his fifteenth project this year, and he still had several booked for the fall and winter seasons.

Riley decided to take a hot shower and contemplate on what he should do next. By the time he got out, it was ten o'clock. He changed, got a snack, and headed into his bedroom. He had a king size bed with silky black covers and matching pillow cases and sheets. He sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled out his phone, taking a bite of an apple from his pantry. He scrolled through his social medias, looking at other artwork from other artists.

Due to the past, Riley and Huey were forced to keep all of their social medias private, and they never actually posted anything that showed themselves. Riley used social media mainly to show off his artwork under the name "Reezus", which was how he began his career in the first place. Reezus was a play on of his childhood nickname, Reezy, which he never used anymore.

Riley often spent his time contemplating about his life, mainly about his past, which was something he never told Huey. He never told Huey because he knew that it would hurt him, it would make him mad, and Riley did not want to go there. So he thought about his mistakes and his life before New York alone. He'd often have dreams in his deep sleep about his troubles, and it would normally end with him waking up.

One thing he kept hidden was a picture. It was a polaroid picture, and he kept it in his nightstand drawer, away from any prying eyes. When he was alone, he'd take it out to remember. Today, he needed to remember.

He slid over to his nightstand and pulled it open. The picture was right there, alone, and his breath got caught in his throat for a moment. He picked up the picture and felt his lips go dry, so he licked them gingerly. The polaroid was taken maybe eight years ago, when he was in high school. But it wasn't him that he was trying to remember, it was the person next to him.

Cynthia McPhearson. Cindy.

This was his day one, his main one, the girl he had fallen in love with his freshman year of high school. This was the girl he did all of his misadventures with. Throughout everything that had happened in his childhood, Cindy was the only one of his friends that actually stuck it out with him. It was inevitable that they fell in love with each other. In this picture, they were standing side by side outside of an arcade. Riley had his arm slung around Cindy's shoulder, and hers was around his waist. She wore a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, her shoes weren't visible. Her blonde hair was pulled back into her signature two braids, and her big blue eyes were full of laughter.

What Riley wouldn't do to have this life back. He'd trade it all, his home, his money, his status, he'd trade everything he had to be with Cindy again. But Riley had to leave Woodcrest to protect her, just as Huey had left to protect Jazmine.

Images of smoke clouded his mind, and Riley had to force himself to look away.

* * *

" _Listen Riley, "Huey said. Riley sat up from his bed, his phone in hand. "What nigga? Can't you see I was on the phone with Cindy? "he demanded, but Huey shook his head, as if dismissing his argument, "Riley, I have something really important to tell you, but you can't tell anyone just yet. "_

" _Nigga what? "Riley arched a brow. He stood up from his bed. Huey made sure that the door to Riley's bedroom was closed and locked before approaching him, "You know that I've…always been suspicious, "Huey began slowly, and Riley rolled his eyes, "Huey are you still caught up on how our parents died? "he asked, and he didn't wait for an answer, "Nigga you were nine! I was seven, we know what happened, we were there! It was an accident! "_

" _Yeah Riley…but what if it wasn't? "Huey's words shocked Riley, "Nigga what the fuck are you sayin'? "Riley demanded. Huey sighed, "Riley, I've been doing some digging about what happened that day…that night. "_

" _Okay and? "Riley walked over to the door, prepared to leave. He had heard enough; his brother had suddenly become interested in their parent's death a few months ago, and now it was all he wanted to talk about with Riley. Riley was done with it, he know what happened, he knew how the story went: their parents died in a fire when they were kids. They were there. End of story._

"… _what if I told you it wasn't an accident, "Huey then asked._

 _Riley stopped dead in his tracks, his hand on the doorknob. Slowly, he turned around, "What? "he whispered hoarsely._

 _Huey's eyes were grim, and he nodded stiffly, "Riley, it wasn't an accident. "_

Riley shot up from bed, drenched in sweat. Panting, he looked around, and in the darkness he was able to make out the familiar decorations in his bedroom. Sighing, Riley forced himself to stand up and head into his bathroom. Still shaking, he turned on the water and began to splash some on his face, waking him up slightly. Returning to his room, he looked at his alarm clock; it was four in the morning.

Riley groaned, flopping back down on his bed. He had another dream, another nightmare. He had been having more recently, and he didn't know why. It was getting bothersome, but he couldn't help but feel like it was for a reason, an important reason.

Riley didn't want to think about it. Instead, he forced himself to think of something, anything, that would make him sleep. After tossing around for a minute, his breathing went steady, and he was out.

* * *

 **The official 1st chapter to Empire. Hope y'all enjoy**

 **xoxo, Queen**


	3. Information

Huey heard a knock at his door. He had been watching TV in his living room, eating breakfast, when he'd heard it, and he knew exactly who it was. He strode over to his door and opened it.

Riley slouched on the doorframe, his eyes heavy and dark. He wore a pair of black sweatpants and a black jacket with grey shoes. He had his hands stuffed into his jacket's pockets, and he was leaning on one leg. Overall, he looked tired, "What's wrong with you? "Huey asked. Riley shrugged, "Nothing, I just couldn't sleep, "he murmured. Riley did not want to tell Huey that he'd been awake almost all night with dreams about things he couldn't change; their past. Huey arched a brow, but he didn't say anything else. He let Riley in, and shut the door behind him.

He and Riley needed to talk about the Valentina's. At their dinner the night previous, Nicolette had talked about "uniting" in a form of alliance with each other. While she had insisted that it was purely because she believed that they would be successful together, Huey knew that it was because she was trying to outdo a rival company, Royale, which was run primarily by the eldest child of the Royale family, Brittany Royale. Brittany was a posh, uppity rich girl, born from a rich family, and basically bought her way into the limelight with her parent's money, which had funded her business in her early stages. She was only a couple of years older than Huey, and had been in business for six years. Huey had only met her once, but it was enough to know exactly who she was and what kind of a person she was.

Riley slumped onto Huey's couch, kicking off his shoes, "Man, don't you ever buy new things? "Riley asked lamely, gesturing to Huey's lack of decorations in his home. Huey shook his head as he sat down across from Riley, "Riley, you know I have no use for things like decorations, "he replied simply. Riley rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, so why'd ya call? It's ten in the morning, "he said it as though it was too early, and for Riley, it was. Riley normally didn't wake up till around noon, because he only worked from the afternoons into the night.

"You know why I called, "Huey said, but Riley shook his head, "Is it over what Nicolette said yesterday? You know I wasn't paying attention, she's so fuckin' annoying I could barely keep my eyes open, "he chuckled at his own statement, and Huey couldn't help but crack a smile, "Yes, it's over that. "

"Okay, so shoot, "Riley turned his head towards him, giving his brother his full attention, which was something he rarely did. Huey shrugged, "I was going to ask you for your opinion on the matter. What do you think we should do? "

Riley threw his hands up in the air, "Nigga I don't know! That's why I'm asking you, you're the brains over here! "Huey rolled his eyes, "This is something that has to come from both of us, Riley. I can't make every decision by myself. "Riley arched a brow, "And why not? "he asked. Huey furrowed his brow, "Because nine times outta ten, you complain about all the decisions I make and want to be included. So I'm including you. "Riley wanted to say something, anything, but he knew his brother was right. Instead, he stopped to think.

"Well, we don't know...what's her name? Brittany? "Huey nodded, and Riley continued: "But she sounds like a total pain in the ass...but really, Nicolette and her brother are probably bigger pains in the ass…, "he leaned his head backwards and groaned, "man, why the fuck this gotta be so complicated? Can't one of 'em grow up and act like adults already? "

"You're one to talk, "Huey scoffed, "you're what, twenty-three, and you still rely on me to make all the decisions? "at this, Riley's brow furrowed in annoyance and slight anger, "Well why shouldn't ya, YOU'RE the one who got us here in the first place, Mr. Huey I-can't-mind-my-fuckin'-business Freeman. "Huey's jaw clenched up, and he balled up his fists, but Riley ignored this and pushed on, "If it weren't for your nosey ass, we would still be-, "

Huey gave Riley one of his famous death glares that made even Riley uncomfortable. The tension between the two rose tremendously since Riley's arrival no less than ten minutes ago, and Riley was beginning to suspect that if he said anything else, Huey would pounce him right then and there. Choosing his words carefully, Riley resumed speaking: "Anyways, I think we should-, "

He was interrupted again by a loud knock at the door. It startled both men, and Huey's attention snapped from his brother to his front door, but his eyebrows remained furrowed, "Who's that? "Riley questioned as Huey stood, "I don't know...I didn't invite anyone here. Did you? "he turned to Riley, who stood up angrily, "Me? Nigga who the fuck would I invite to your ugly ass apart-, "

Another loud knock interrupted Riley once again, and he groaned, but was silenced by Huey. Huey gestured for Riley to follow him, and Riley obeyed. Reaching into his zip-up jacket, Riley pulled out a medium sized handgun, fully loaded, ready to fire. In the hall that led to the front door, Huey passed a small hall table. He opened the drawer, never once averting his gaze from the door, and took out a slightly larger handgun from inside. Huey licked his lips as his hands touched the cool metal of the gun, and he gripped it firmly in his hand.

Carefully, the two tip-toed towards the front door, their breaths caught in their lungs and their eyes plastered open, barely even blinking. Huey made the first move to look into the little peep hole in the door, whilst Riley got into a firing position a few feet away, his finger ready to hover over the trigger as he clicked the safety off with the other.

Huey peeped through the hole in the door, and Riley saw his whole body relax. He lowered his gun, prompting Riley to do the same, "Who is it? "Riley asked, clicking the safety back on and stuffing the gun back into his jacket. Huey began unlocking the door, a quizzical look on his face, but he didn't answer. Riley peered over Huey's shoulder as he opened the door.

Standing on Huey's doormat was a man. He was a little shorter than both Riley and Huey; he was a white guy, with reddish-blonde hair and eyes the color of grass. Freckles were scattered along the bridge of his nose and cheeks, and there was a large scar on his face, which ran from the right side of his forehead down to the middle of his right cheek. He wore a pair of dark jeans, brown work boots, and a large trench coat despite it being the middle of August and a clear day. He gave Huey a toothy grin, but Huey only gave him a questioning look, "Archie, what are you doing here? "

"Archie? "Riley arched a brow, "Isn't that the guy you hired to-, "the man, Archie, chuckled and nodded, "Yup, that's me, your little problem solver. "He stepped into the house as Huey moved aside to allow him in, closing the door behind him. Archie sauntered into the living room, glancing around, "Geez Huey, you know how to live in luxury, "he whistled. Riley snickered as he joined Archie on the couch, "You think this is good? Mine is way better. "He and Archie fist bumped as Huey offered Archie a coke, who took it eagerly.

"What are you doing here? "Huey asked again as Archie took a few long gulps from his coke. He set the can down on the coffee table in front of the couch, "Look, I'm here to relay some information to you, "he began, "mostly good information, really. "Huey crossed his arms over his chest as he sat down across from Archie and Riley, "And that is…? "

"Well, I found your guy, "the words flowed out of Archie's mouth with ease, but it shocked both Huey and Riley so much that both their jaws dropped simultaneously. Archie took glances at both brothers before continuing, "Let me tell you, Huey, you both had one bad ass guy trying to hunt you down. "He leaned back into the couch, and Riley regained the feeling of his mouth, "Well why do ya think we hired you? "he shot back, rubbing his face, "We told ya this guy was kick ass Archie, didn't we. "

"Correction: these guys, "Archie blurted out.

There was a heavy silence in the room, and Archie realized that probably wasn't the best way to go about things. Truthfully, he didn't know how to tell them that little piece of information, but he was glad he'd finally said it. The look in both boys' eyes told Archie everything: they were just as confused as the next person...and they had fear written all over their faces.

"W-what do you mean...guys? "Riley stammered, his eyes wide and his mouth gaping open once more. Huey did not say anything, and instead stared at Archie, as if waiting for his answer.

Archie sighed, "Look guys, I'm gonna be real with you...I think we're dealing with more than one person. "Huey opened his mouth to speak, but Archie beat him to it, "You know I've spent the past year doing nothing but trying to track down this guy for you, "he went on, leaning forwards and resting his arms on his legs, his eyes trained on Huey, "and yeah, I found only stuff tracing back to this guy...but I don't know. I spent a whole year trying to track this guy down, and believe me, it was not easy. This was definitely professional; he moved around constantly, had several connections all over the place, it's amazing he never took you out in the past. "he hated to admit it, but it was true, "But searching for him...going through his shit, his information, everything...it just screamed partnership. "

"But you never found a partner? "Huey asked, and Archie nodded grimly, "Nothing. If he had a partner, he made damn sure no one would ever know. "Riley scratched his head, "So...what happened to this dude then? "he asked, "You said you had good news, this ain't soundin' like good news my guy. "

Archie chuckled, "Well, I did kill him, "he finally said. Huey felt his heart leap in his chest, and a smile instantly spread across Riley's face. Archie looked down while grinning, "Yeah, finally caught up to that little bastard a few days ago. Only thing is that when I tried to hack into his devices, the systems did some kinda self destruct shit. One blew up on me. "

"Deadass? "Riley gawked, and Archie nodded, looking back up towards Riley, "Yeah, it was like some movie shit. One moment I'm tryna hack into his laptop, the next thing I know I'm seeing double as that piece of shit blew up in my face and sent me flying across the room. "he chuckled slightly at the memory, but his face changed back to a serious expression, "Look, all I'm saying is that this might not be over yet. "

Huey and Riley glanced at each other uneasily. Neither could deny that they hadn't even thought about this being a possibility, but still; a part of them didn't want to believe it, they didn't want to accept it just yet. They wanted to move on from this, move on with their lives, and not live in constant fear. As they sat in silence, Huey's phone rang, causing all three to jump slightly. Huey answered it, "Hello? "

"Huey, boy! "his grandfather practically screamed at him from the other line. He coughed, "What Granddad? "Huey sighed, already annoyed, "I need you and Riley here quick! "he said quickly, "I need to talk to the both of y'all. "Riley, who could hear his grandfather from where he was sitting, rolled his eyes, "What does he want now? "he murmured under his breath. Huey rubbed the back of his neck, "Alright, we'll be there soon. "

Huey hung up the phone and stood, prompting Riley and Archie to stand as well, "I'll get you the majority of the money, "Huey told Archie, "it'll be in your bank by the end of today. "Archie nodded, "Of course, "he said, "and I'll dig a little more. Just...be cautious, the both of you, "he nodded to both Huey and Riley, and they both nodded back. Huey escorted Archie to the door, and carefully closed and locked it behind him.

Twenty minutes later, the two arrived at their grandfather's apartment building. He lived closer to Riley than Huey, which meant that Riley saw their grandfather more often than Huey did. Originally, the three had planned to live together somewhere, but their grandfather had insisted on living alone. This worried the boys quite a lot; their grandfather wasn't what he used to be in their childhood years, although he was just as, if not more, spunkier than what he had been.

The whole way there, the two were silent, as if processing the information from Archie still. Once at the building, they made their way to his floor and knocked on his door. After a few seconds, it slowly opened, revealing their aging grandfather. Robert Freeman smiled at his two grandsons, the wrinkles on his face becoming more prominent as he did so, "Well, well, if it isn't my boys, "he coughed loudly, and the two boys winced, "Hey granddad, "Riley said, entering first. Huey came in second and gave his grandfather a hug before he erupted into another coughing fit.

It was no secret to the two that their grandfather was sickly. All the stress and anxiety over the past couple of years had really taken a toll on his health, and now he was paying the price. Their once outspoken and eager to pounce grandfather was now a ghost of his former self. He had gained a significant amount of wrinkles on his face that were very prominent all the time. His sight was somewhat off, and he rarely wore his glasses anymore. He now had to use a cane at all times, as he was more or less permanently hunched over. But whenever he saw his boys, he did the best he could to muster up the strength to talk to them at all times.

Their grandfather invited them into his apartment and had them settle down on the black leather couch in the living room. "What's wrong granddad? "Riley then asked, breaking the silence. Their grandfather sat down on a recliner across from them, leaning back in his chair, "Boys, you know I miss home, right? "he then asked absently. Huey groaned inwardly, "Granddad, this is your home. "he insisted, but Robert shook his head, "No boy, I mean my home, our home, in Woodcrest. "

There was another awkward silence. Riley wanted to say something, but he knew that Huey would shoot him down. The three rarely spoke about Woodcrest, mainly because of Huey. Huey didn't hate Woodcrest; he loved it. He loved the people, the place, even if it had been a racist city for the most part. But...there were demons that haunted Huey, and bringing up Woodcrest reminded him of those pesky demons.

Their grandfather rubbed his head with a wrinkled hand. It pained the two to see their grandfather in such a sickly state; he was more wrinkles than he was anything else. Today, he looked tired. Now, he looked tired all the time, but today...it was different.

"Y'all remember Uncle Ruckus? "he then asked suddenly. Riley and Huey both arched a brow at the same time, "Ruckus as in your old bingo buddy? "Huey inquired. "The racist old dude? "Riley added. Their grandfather began laughing hoarsely at the statement, "Yeah, yeah, that old coot, "he chuckled before becoming serious again, "Listen though, you know he was younger than me right? Younger by a couple years. "

"Granddad, where you going with this? "Riley prodded. Robert coughed, "Ruckus is dead. "he blurted out.

Huey's eyes went wide and Riley's mouth gapped open slightly, "He died? When did he die? How do you know? "Riley began asking a string of questions, and Robert shook his head, "You know I read about stuff that goes on in Woodcrest online in the news, "Robert replied, "Y'all know I keep up with it, unlike the two of y'all. "he glared at them, and Huey sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Granddad, we've been over this before. "

Robert waved him off, "Anyways, Ruckus was murdered yesterday. Read it in the news earlier this afternoon. "at this, the boys were now intrigued, "Murdered? Ruckus was murdered? By who? "it was Huey's turn to ask the questions. Robert shrugged, "I don't know Huey, it just says he was murdered. Killed in his own home while he was sleeping I suppose. "he shifted in his seat, "Listen though, there's a funeral this Saturday…, "

There was an awkward silence between the three, with both Robert and Riley looking back towards Huey. Even if the two agreed with each other about going, they still needed an answer from Huey. At the end of the day, Huey was the one who made all the decisions for the family, he was basically the head of their household, so whether or not they went to this funeral would be up to him. Huey looked at his grandfather, "Granddad…I don't know, "he said.

"We got some news today, "Riley blurted out. Huey elbowed him, but Robert was already perking up his ears, "News? From who? "Huey shot Riley a look, but Riley continued, "Remember the guy Huey hired, Archie? "Robert nodded, "Yes, I remember him, why? "

Riley inhaled sharply, "Well, he gave us good and bad news, really. "Huey knew there was no point in trying to shut Riley up now, so only slouched back into the couch and allowed Riley to continue, "He said...he killed the guy. "

At this, Robert's face lit up, "You mean it? The guy...you mean he actually did it finally? "Huey shook his head, "Don't get so excited yet Granddad, "he quipped, "Archie thinks that there may have been more than one person involved. He doesn't know the extent of it yet, but he's doing some more digging. "at this, Robert's face fell.

He looked over Riley and Huey, like he was looking at something behind the two. They both turned around, but it was nothing but a blank wall. Turning back to Robert, he began coughing again. This time, however, it was more of a coughing fit; he leaned forwards and pulled out a tissue from his pocket and began coughing into it. Huey stood up first, but Robert raised a hand, as if telling him to wait. After a few moments, he sat back up, his eyes slightly bloodshot, "Boys, I'm gettin' old now, "he said in a low voice, "and I'm not gonna be around very much longer. "

"Granddad, don't talk like that, "Riley tried, but Robert shook his head, "We gotta face it boys: I'm gettin' too old now. And I don't wanna die without seeing Woodcrest one last time. "his attention was on Huey, his eyes staring into Huey's like determined daggers. Huey shifted in his seat uncomfortably, but finally sighed.

"We could only stay for a little bit, "he began slowly. Robert's lips turned upwards in a small smile as Huey continued: "Just for the weekend, just for the funeral. "

Robert began nodding enthusiastically, "Of course Huey, of course…, "

Huey turned to look at Riley, who eyed his brother uneasily. Both boys knew that this was dangerous, that leaving the safety of their routines would be dangerous, but they had no choice at this point.

It was only Wednesday.

* * *

Huey had just finished taking a shower. Houses in New York were harder to buy than apartments, but Huey had managed to buy a large, comfortable penthouse that gave him a glorious view of the city. Everything in it was kept clean and tidy, although the place was rather plain and simple. Huey wasn't big on decorations, and only had a handful of actual decorations besides his needed furniture. This was what Riley disliked about the apartment, and what he bugged Huey about every time he came for a visit. He dried himself off and pulled on some underwear and sweat pants before sitting down on his couch.

He waited a moment, pondering, before finally pulled out his personal laptop and logging on. He went to google and typed 'Woodcrest' in the search bar. Huey hesitated a moment before pushing enter.

Truthfully, after leaving Woodcrest, Huey had never looked up anything about it. It pained him to do so, and he didn't want to have that with him and remind him of everything had had failed to do while living there. He hadn't searched up Woodcrest in years, but now he needed to if he was going back for a short visit. He didn't know what to expect, but he was preparing himself for anything.

As soon as it had loaded, dozens of articles and news reports came up…and they were all about crime. Huey skimmed a few, and all involved robberies, car thefts, murders, even kidnapping, "What happened to Woodcrest? "he thought aloud, continuing his search online. None of the articles he found were about anything good in Woodcrest. One article caught his attention, and he clicked on it.

"No way…Woodcrest got a new mayor? "Huey gasped to himself. Sure enough, as he read, he discovered that Woodcrest's new Mayor was some guy called Mayor Greene, and he'd only been mayor for four years. He continued to surf the articles, "Lets see…, "Huey murmured to himself, "Mr. Greene...became mayor four years ago after former Mayor Wuncler left town...remarried a year and a half ago to a Ms. Lizaben…has one son of his own from a previous marriage and gained three step-children…, "he sighed, tired of reading.

Huey exited out of google and hesitated for a moment. He stared at his wallpaper, which he hadn't changed since he'd gotten the laptop. It was something that he kept hidden away, as this laptop never left his home. Huey sighed as he stood up, laptop in hand, and walked over towards the windows. He looked out at the setting sun, and then back down at the wallpaper.

It was a picture of him…and Jazmine. Jazmine Dubois.

It was an old picture, taken years ago when the two had just started dating. But it was a happier time, a happier moment in his life. Before everything went to hell, that is. Before he and his brother got caught up in a mess within a mess, before they had to leave Woodcrest for what they thought would be forever. Seven years was a long time, but it wasn't forever.

She was wearing a pink dress. Her afro was pulled back into a bun, and there was a smile on her lips. She looked happy, but Jazmine was always happy. Her big emerald eyes were full of laughter and mirth. Huey stood next to her, wearing just casual clothes, and he looked boring when compared to Jazmine. Huey remembered that day; they'd gone to the movies with a couple of friends, and had snapped the picture on the way out. It was something that Huey had refused to get rid of.

Huey wondered what Jazmine was like now. He wondered how she was doing, what she was doing, if she was still friends with Riley's ex Cindy, if she had become a veterinarian, if she had dated anyone else after himself. Huey was never able to keep tabs on her like how he'd wanted to, he couldn't afford to in the beginning, and now it was a little too late to do so. This left him to wonder, a lot. He wondered these things, and he felt himself grow restless.

Saturday was only three days away.

* * *

 **I've been going through a difficult time lately, but the one thing that I've been doing a lot of is writing. I didn't think that I'd be up for it, but I really did surprise myself. Anyways, R &R, and why do you think Huey and Riley had someone after them? **

**xoxo, Queen**


	4. Welcome to Woodcrest

**chapter 3**

* * *

"Sir, how long will you be gone? "Huey's assistant, Deanna, asked. Huey sighed as he gathered up his things that Friday morning, "A few days at most, "he replied evenly, "I'm going to a funeral with my family. "he looked at his watch; his plane left at one, and it was seven. He needed to get to the airport immediately. He continued to gather up his things, "Should you need me, you know where to find me, "he addressed her, and she nodded, "Of course, Mr. Freeman. Please don't be angry, but I had to give Mr. and Mrs. Valentina your phone number…, "

Huey sighed, but he expected as much, "Of course, I'm sure she'll want to contact me somehow, "he muttered. He took one last look around his office before heading towards the door, "Please try to tell her that I'm busy if you can before she tries to contact me. "Deanna giggled, "Of course, sir, "she smiled at him as she followed him out of his office, which was securely locked behind him.

Meanwhile, Riley had just arrived at the airport with their grandfather. They were early, but you always needed to be early for plane flights. Well, usually. He carried his and his grandfather's things. "Where is your brother boy? "Robert asked, "He needs to be here now! "

"I know Granddad, "Riley responded, slightly annoyed. They stood at the entrance to the airport, all their things with them, and waited for Huey. Riley pulled out his cell phone and dialed Huey's number, "Yeah? "Huey said from the other line, "Man where you at! "Riley exclaimed, "Granddad's getting agitated over here! "

"I'm pulling up, "Huey shot back, "I had to have someone else drive me here, "

"Oh, of course, "Riley sighed, "Anyways, we're extra early, so you're good. Granddad's just being a pain. "

"What did you say boy? "Robert demanded. Riley smirked, "Nothin' granddad, nothin', "he called back, trying to ignore his grandfather's continuous talking and chattering about nothing.

Ten minutes later, Huey had approached the two, his suitcase and bags in hand. "Are y'all ready? "Huey asked. Riley noticed that his brother was dressed far more casual than usual. He wore a pair of sweats, some Gucci slides with black socks, and a black Nike hoodie, "I ain't seen you wear shit like this in years, "Riley joked, and Huey rolled his eyes, "It's a plane fight Riley, I'm not gonna wear a full on suit on a plane flight. "

Riley chuckled, "I hear ya, I hear ya, "he grabbed his bags and one of Robert's bags before turning around to walk away. Huey grabbed the rest and allowed Robert to hold onto his arm for support as they entered the bustling New York airport.

What seemed like hours later, the three sat in a waiting area to board. Their flight was to leave in an hour, and they were told that they would be escorted onto the plane as soon as their plane arrived. Riley slouched into his chair, "Man, where are we even gonna stay? "he then asked, "Who are we even gonna see? "

"I don't know…, "Robert replied, "I tried to call up some old numbers, but none of them worked. "Huey arched a brow, "Really? "Robert nodded, "Yup. You know I kept the Dubois' number written down somewhere, I even had old Wuncler's number. But all the numbers either went to voicemail or don't work no more. "

This was rather odd for the brothers. Why would no one pick up?

Suddenly, Robert's phone began to buzz. "Oh, someone's calling me, "he said aloud, "Who? "Riley leaned over to look at the screen, but it was an unknown number. Before Riley could stop him, Robert had answered the phone and put it on speaker, "Hello? "he said loudly.

"Hello? Is this Robert? "a female's voice asked. The trio recognized the voice instantly, "Sarah? "Robert seemed surprised, "Robert! Oh my goodness, is that actually you? "Sarah Dubois sounded surprised as well, "Oh gosh, it's been years, Robert! "she sounded relieved almost, "We haven't heard from you or your grandsons since…, "she trailed off, alluding to something that neither Riley nor Huey wanted to talk about. Robert nodded, "Yes, yes, and I apologize for that. I understand if you're angry at us for any of the problems we may have cause…, "

"Oh no Robert, everything's fine, "Sarah seemed so…nonchalant. She was acting as if she wasn't talking to the grandfather of the boy who had broken her daughter's heart seven years prior, "You called my old number to my old phone. I don't use it anymore and gave it to my friend, but she said that you called her and gave me your number. "

"Oh, I'm so sorry, "Robert apologized, but Sarah only chuckled, "No Robert, its fine. "she then paused, "Listen, I have to run a few errands, but call me on this number again when you land in Woodcrest, alright? I'd be glad to go pick the three of you up! "Huey and Riley eyed each other, confused. Robert only agreed, "Yes, of course, "he responded. They said their goodbyes, and she hung up.

"That was odd, "Riley blurted out, "Hush Riley, she's a woman of hospitality, you should be grateful, "Robert shot back. Riley rolled his eyes, "Yeah but granddad, don't you remember what happened seven years ago? Why is she being so nice to us when Huey over here broke her daughter's heart? "Huey shot Riley a look, but he had to agree; the way Sarah was acting, as if the three hadn't been gone for seven years, was extremely odd and…suspicious.

"She never once even mentioned Jazmine, "Riley added, "Doesn't that just stick out to ya? "

Robert nodded, "I admit…it is kind of strange, "but he then shrugged. Huey and Riley gave each other looks, and then they heard their flight number over the loudspeakers in the waiting area.

A plane ride later, the three landed in Woodcrest, which was in the southern part of Maryland. After two hours of trying to leave the airport, they were met with the cool air of Woodcrest, Maryland. As they exited the airport, the two boys felt giddy; they hadn't stepped foot in this city in years. They had never even dreamed of coming back, not after what had happened all those years ago. But they were really here; they were really home. The sky was a clear blue; not a single cloud in sight. Woodcrest Airport seemed pretty similar to the last time they'd been there, and it even seemed to be a little newer, too, with new machines and waiting areas and procedures.

Robert had called Sarah, who had responded immediately and had told him that she was on her way to pick the three up. So they waited outside of the airport for a good twenty minutes before a large, black SUV pulled up. At first, none of them moved, but when Sarah hopped out of the driver's side, all three jaw's dropped.

Sarah didn't even look like Sarah anymore. Huey and Riley had remembered Sarah as a calm and serene mother, who was often annoying despite her efforts to be sweet, but when she hopped out of that SUV, they were hit with the reality of change. Sarah had tossed aside her homely, stay-at-home-mom clothes and now donned tight blue jeans and an even tighter red shirt. Her blonde hair had grown out long and shiny and cascaded down her back, and she wore black heels and ample makeup. She carried a red Louis Vuitton purse on one arm and smacked on some gum.

"Oh my goodness, Huey, Riley? "she looked shocked to see the two young men, "Is that really you? "she approached them and enveloped the two into a hug, "Oh my goodness, it's been so long! "she gasped when she saw Robert, "Robert, it's so good to see you! "she now threw her arms around Robert, who chuckled at her reaction to seeing him, "It's good to see you too, Sarah, "Robert replied. Huey and Riley eyed each other awkwardly; this was how Sarah looked after seven years? What caused her to become...this? To the boys, she looked like a teenager.

"Oh come, I'm sure you're tired and want to rest. Where do you need to go? "she asked. "A hotel, any hotel closest to where the funeral will be, "Huey responded. Sarah nodded, "I see you all found out about Ruckus, huh, "she shook her head sadly, "It's such a shame, Ruckus was doing so good the past couple of months with work. "

She led Huey and Riley to the trunk, where she popped it opened and let the two pile in their belongings. After helping Robert into the passenger's side, Huey and Riley jumped into the backseat.

"Damn Mrs. Dubois, when did you get a car like this? "Riley whistled as he admired the inside of the car, which looked brand new, "Did you and Tom hit the jackpot in the lottery or what? "Sarah only chuckled nervously as she exited the airport parking lot, "Oh no, Riley, Tom and I divorced a few years ago. "

This caught the three off guard, "Whoa, really? "Riley's eyes went wide. Everyone knew that Sarah's and Tom's marriage was slowly declining ever since Jazmine was a little girl, but nonetheless, Sarah seemed to want to stay anyways, even though Tom could be a whiny crybaby. For whatever reason, she liked being smarter - and more mature - than Tom. Sarah nodded, "Yup. Signed the divorce papers and never looked back. "she said it with such ease that it sounded like she'd never even liked Tom. However, she suddenly seemed nervous, like someone was listening to her. She glanced around a lot as she drove, and her turns were sharp and hard.

"So…how are things? "Huey asked casually. Sarah nodded, "Things have been going great for us. I'm sure you've already heard about Mayor Greene; Mr. Wuncler left Woodcrest a few years ago, but I think his grandson still lives around here somewhere. Oh my, but have things changed! There's a whole new mall that was built two years ago that has literally everything in it, and so many new neighborhoods have popped up all around the city…, "

Huey tuned Sarah out slightly as he looked out the window. Riley stared outside with him. They were…shocked, to say the least.

Everything really did look so different. Of course, they had been gone for seven years, but even so, the change to Woodcrest was drastic…and it wasn't a good change, either. There were lots of places that they passed that were vacant, run down, and overrun with graffiti and homeless people, and when they had left those exact same buildings had been up and running. It seemed that every street they turned onto, there was something off about it. There were stray dogs and cats running around, men standing on the corners of the streets with signs asking for work, small shops that didn't even look open, and there was litter almost everywhere. Most yards had dead grass and dirt instead of the familiar lush green Huey and Riley had been used to when they were growing up. The same streets they walked as children were now deserted, vacant.

"Is Jazmine here? "Huey then asked abruptly, turning away from the window. Both Robert and Riley winced at the question, and even Sarah seemed taken aback. She gripped the wheel tighter, her knuckles turning white. She didn't speak for a moment, and Huey felt himself begin to sweat. Finally, however, she spoke: "N-no, "she stammered quickly, "Jazmine's not…in this area…anymore. "she said the whole thing slowly, as if she was trying to find the words to say it correctly. Riley arched a brow, "What about Cindy? "he then asked. Sarah shrugged, "I haven't seen Cindy in years, "she admitted to them. The boys gave each other a look, "So they stopped being friends or what? "Riley prodded.

Sarah shook her head, "No, no, they're still best friends, "she smiled at them from her rear view mirror, but her face instantly turned grim and pale. Huey glanced over at Robert, who only shrugged, "So…where are they? "he went on. If Sarah knew that Cindy and Jazmine were still friends, then she must've known something about there whereabouts and what they were up to. However, Sarah did not say anything.

The four continued on, passing by more neighborhoods and ghettos. After a little bit, they began to enter the nicer part of Woodcrest, with nicer, larger homes, less homeless people, greener grasses, and bigger, cleaner stores. The car suddenly stopped, and Sarah smiled brightly at the trio, "Well, here we are! "she said, gesturing outside. Huey and Riley glanced out of the windows to find themselves at a hotel. It was pretty big, and looked very clean and organized. She pulled up to the front of the hotel and helped the three out with their bags. They walked inside and approached the front desk. Huey was the one who handled the fine print, and they were escorted to their rooms.

Sarah stayed with them throughout the whole process, but did not once mention Jazmine or Cindy since the car ride, and she never answered Huey's question. The atmosphere seemed tense, and the only one who really didn't notice anything was Robert. After they had managed to bring all their things inside from her car, Sarah gave them the address of the funeral and bid them farewell.

The three stood in one of their three rooms; each had gotten their own side by side, and they now stood in the one that would be Huey's. They stared at each other for a moment, but Huey and Riley were the most disturbed, "Yo, what the fuck was that about? "Riley gawked at Huey, "What the fuck did she mean that they aren't here anymore?! "

"Well, you couldn't expect them to stay in Woodcrest, "Robert pointed out, "maybe they left the state for college. "he hobbled over to a chair and slumped down into it. Riley shook his head, "Naw granddad, were you even listening to her? Did you hear how she said it? She barely even mentioned the girls, like she has no fuckin' idea as to where they are! "Huey had to agree; Sarah's behavior was beyond strange, and it was something that he hadn't been expecting, "Plus, if they were in college or whatever, why wouldn't she just say it? It's not like we'd leave the fuckin' state to hunt them down! "Huey had to agree to that, too.

Robert shook his head now, "Boys, I'm sure y'all are over exaggerating. We'll probably see the girls at the funeral tomorrow, you'll see, "Robert waved off their worriment and stood up from his position in a chair, "Now I need to go lie down, my back is really starting to kill me. "he announced. Riley decided to help him into his room, grabbing his things and opening a door that connected Huey's room to Robert's.

Huey stood in his room alone for a moment, utterly confused. He had only been back for less than an hour, and he had so many questions, and had no answers. Why was Sarah acting that way? What was going on? Where was Jazmine? She was the only thing on his mind, she was the only person he actually wanted to see. He needed to see her.

His thoughts were interrupted by his phone ringing in his pocket. He pulled it out to looked at it, and read 'Nicolette' on the screen. Sighing, he answered, "Hello? "

"Hey Huey! "Nicolette chirped into Huey's ear, "I heard you and your family left town earlier today? "Huey licked his dry lips, "Yeah, we're attending a funeral this weekend. "he replied as evenly as he could, hoping that she would just leave it at that. "Oh, I'm so sorry for your loss, is it someone close to you? "she went on. Of course she didn't.

"He was a friend of my grandfather's when I was younger, "Huey replied simply, "he died a few days ago. "he could hear Nicolette click her tongue, "I'm sorry for your loss, Huey, "she repeated, almost robotically, in the same tone as before, "Well, take care, and I'll see you when you return to New York. We absolutely have to have a lunch together to discuss…business, "she said the last word in a lower, huskier voice, and then she hung up without giving Huey the chance to say anything else. He stuffed his phone back into his pocket and rubbed his head slightly.

Riley had managed to get Robert settled into his room, and then proceeded to grab his things and enter into his own room, which was connected to Huey's room but on the opposite side. Riley still had one too many questions on his mind, and he hoped that maybe he could contact somebody that could help. He pushed his suitcase off to the side and sat down on the bed. As quickly as he could, he pulled out his phone and searched through his notes before finding a number. He typed it into his phone, and waited.

"Hello? "a voice asked on the other line. The person coughed, and Riley spoke: "Hey, Ed? "he asked. He heard another cough, and then a gasp, "No way…is this…Riley? Riley Freeman? "Ed asked incredulously, his voice rising. Riley smirked, "Yeah…it's me, "he said slowly. He heard a laugh, "No way! Dude, you disappeared off of the planet like seven years ago! "he exclaimed, "Where have you been? "

"Oh, around, "Riley shrugged, "Aye though, I'm back in Woodcrest for a few days. "

"Word? Where you at, I'll come by and scoop ya up, "Ed said, "I'm here with Rummy, we can go grab a drink or somethin'. Your brother with you? "Riley could hear keys jingle, "Yeah, we're staying at the…Greenbay Hotel. "Riley read the name off of a small pamphlet that was left on a desk in his room. "Oooh, y'all at the fancy places, "Ed teased, "I'll be there in like fifteen. "

"Alright, we'll be here. "and Riley hung up. Huey entered the room, "Who was that? "he asked. Riley grinned, "I just spoke to Ed, remember him? Wuncler's grandson? "Huey nodded, "Yeah, I remember him. He's still here, right? "Riley nodded, "Yup, he just said he's down to come get us for some drinks. Him and Rummy. You think granddad gonna be alright here by himself for a little bit man? "Huey turned around and spotted their grandfather passed out in his bedroom. He nodded, "I'm pretty sure. This is a pretty nice place with decent security. He'll be fine for an hour or two. "Huey shrugged. Riley gave him another toothy grin, "That's what I like to hear. "

After explaining to Robert their sudden plans, the two headed outside into the crisp afternoon air. It was now around three, almost four, and Woodcrest looked rather peaceful, at least this part of it. They waited outside the front doors to the lobby when an Audi pulled up. A head popped out of the passenger's window with short cropped red hair, and Riley instantly recognized it at Ed. "Ed! "he cackled, running down the steps like a child.

"My man! It's been too long! "Ed replied, laughing. Huey walked casually down the steps and met Riley at the bottom, who had been fist bumping Rummy and Ed. They slid into the backseat, "Where to? "Riley asked. Rummy began driving, "There's a bar not too far from here we can hit real quick, "he explained, "Ain't no way we missing out on drinking today. "

Ed began blaring heavy rap through the radio, and Riley sang along off-key. Huey cringed at his brother, but was secretly glad his brother looked at least a little happy. It took them another fifteen minutes to reach the bar, which was called the Perfect Place. They parked in the back and made their way to the front. There were a few people inside, but since it was so early in the afternoon, it wasn't too busy. It was a rather nice bar; there were pool tables and other games in the back. There were some booths to the side, and TVs hung all around. Some were turned onto football, others were showing actual TV shows, but almost every TV was playing something different.

The four sat down at the bar and ordered a few drinks, "So, what brings y'all back to Woodcrest? "Ed asked, running a hand through his red hair. Riley sighed, "Ruckus's funeral, "he said, and Rummy nodded, "Oh yeah, it's tomorrow, "he shook his head, "Damn shame at what happened to him. Y'all heard he died in his own home right? "the bartender set four shot glasses down in front of them and a few bottles of liquor. Riley took a shot of Hennessy, as did Huey, "Yeah, we heard, "Riley replied, "But aye, we got some questions of our own. "he fiddled with his shot glass.

"Shoot, "Rummy took a shot at the same time as Ed.

"What happened here? "Huey asked before Riley could. Ed quirked up a brow, "You mean in Woodcrest? "Riley and Huey nodded, "C'mon man, we know shit's changed...but this is some drastic shit, "Riley went on, "we ain't dumb. We know somethin' bad happened. "Ed sighed as he placed his glass down; he knew that they would eventually be asking questions like this, "Crime hit Woodcrest hard a couple years ago, man. My grandpops couldn't do anythin' about it, really. That's why he left. "his eyes narrowed, as if he was angry at his grandfather for leaving.

"What about your dad? "Riley then asked. Ed rolled his eyes, "My old man left, too. He goes wherever my grandpops goes; says he attracts business or whatever. Anyways, after my grandpops left, that new Mayor came into town and got elected, Mr. Greene. "Ed shrugged, "I dunno too much about him, but once he moved in, he got the mansion instead of me. I wanted to stay here, where it was familiar, so me and Rummy been living together for a while since. "

"Where? "Riley inquired.

"Oh, downtown, "Rummy now spoke, "I got myself a nice little place. We split the bills, buy our shit, it's pretty nice. "he shrugged, "We don't really leave Woodcrest anymore, though. I haven't left in about three years, and lemme tell y'all, Ed and I used to travel everywhere. "the two chuckled at the memories, "We needed to stay here to make money after Ed's grandfather left to survive. "

Huey glanced at Riley, telling him with his eyes that he was gonna pop the big question at the duo, "So, Ed, "Huey began slowly, drumming his fingers on the countertop, "Do you know what happened to Jazmine and Cindy? "

At their names, the two instantly looked uncomfortable. Ed shifted around on his stool nervously, and Rummy busied himself with a few more shots to avoid having to answer any questions. Realizing that Rummy was not going to help, Ed spoke, casting Rummy a few angry glares: "Um, yeah, they're around. "his eyes darted around absently, trying to not meet the boys' gazes. Riley arched a brow, "What does that mean Ed? "he asked, "Are they here? Did they move away? What's goin' on? No one's been tellin' us shit. "Ed could tell that Riley was getting angry, "We come back and everyone's actin' like it's some huge secret. Why? Why's it gotta be a big secret? "

Huey and Riley stood their ground, letting Ed and rummy know that they were not leaving until they had some real answers. Ed sighed, setting down his shot glass, "Listen y'all, I'm gonna be real right now, really real, "he tapped a finger on the glass, "I wouldn't go lookin' for them. "this took the two aback. They were even more shocked when Rummy nodded his head in agreement, "What does that mean? "Riley demanded, his eyebrows furrowing. "I know they're probably still pissed at us…but c'mon guys. It's been years since we've last seen them. "

"It's not just that, "Rummy added, "Look, we all know how it went down between you two and Jazmine and Cindy. We all know it didn't end well. But…, "he turned to Rummy, who shrugged, "Might as well tell them. I'm sure they'll find out sooner or later. "he suggested, but Ed did not look like he agreed with Rummy's statement. "Find out what? "Riley asked.

Ed swished his drink around for a moment, thinking, "Jazmine and Cindy aren't the two girls you remember, "he finally said, "They've changed…a lot. "for the first time, he actually met Huey's intense gaze. Huey felt taken aback; there was something in Ed's eyes that he'd never seen before, something he never expected to ever see in the ex-gangster's eyes: fear.

"Where can we find them? "Huey asked, ignoring his pleading gaze. Rummy now shrugged, "I don't know, really, they're everywhere these days. I haven't seen either of them in a few days. "the boys looked somewhat confused, "So they are here, "Huey mumbled, looking over at Riley, "Sarah said that they weren't even in the area anymore. "

"Will they go to the funeral? "Riley prodded. Ed scoffed, "Oh no, they're not gonna go to that, "he said it as if he was surprised that they'd even asked, "they don't have time for funerals anymore. "he took another sip of his drink before turning to the two, "Look, after the funeral tomorrow, I can take you to a place that I know they hit up every now and then. Maybe they'll be there, and if not, we can find out from someone when they will be. "this was the best thing he could offer, and Huey and Riley knew it.

Huey nodded, but he cocked his head to the side, "What happened to them? "he asked in a hushed voice. Rummy sighed, "A lot of things have gone down since y'all left, "he said, "just look around. Woodcrest isn't the Woodcrest you remember. It's full of crime, "he took a quick swig of his drink, "Jazmine and Cindy had to grow up pretty fast after the first crime wave hit Woodcrest. Shit went down, Rummy and I were in touch with them for the first few years. Now they're pretty much on their own. "

"What was the first thing that happened? "Riley asked. Ed shrugged, "A bank robbery, "he muttered. At this, Huey nearly spit out his drink, "A what? "he sounded more than shocked. Ed chuckled at his reaction softly, "Yup, ya heard it right. A whole bank robbery. Happened a couple months after y'all split town. Y'all know we did robberies and heists for side money, but one day we got a job that was too big for the two of us, "he glanced at Rummy, who nodded, "so we invited the two along. "

"But…why would they even agree to that? "Huey asked, "Cindy, I can see Cindy doing it, "Riley admitted, "but Jazmine…? "

Rummy shook his head, "Jazmine was pretty torn up about the break up, "he said slowly, "Cindy went weeks calling us up, asking if we could get ahold of y'all. Of course, we never could, and I think it just crushed Jazmine even more, y'know. To know that there was no way to contact y'all. "he pursed his lips together. He glanced up at Huey, whose facial expressions had softened into sadness, "Jazmine isn't Jazmine anymore. Neither is Cindy. They fell into our world, a little bit deeper than us really, and they never tried to get back out. "

"Is that why Sarah divorced Tom? "Huey then inquired. Ed chuckled, "I didn't even know Sarah still kept up with everyone else, "he mused, "I haven't seen her in a few months. Yeah, she divorced Tom a few years back. Jazmine raved all about it for months. 'Course, Jazmine keeps her mom's up to date. She buys her all kinds of shit, like she's tryna make up for her mistakes. "he shook his head, "Personally, I know for a fact Sarah doesn't care about any of Jazmine's mistakes, or whatever she calls 'em. "Rummy nodded in agreement.

"Does Tom know about all this? "Huey pressed. Ed nodded, "Yeah, but there's not much he could've done about it. I remember when the first crime wave hit, Tom got a lot of business, and it drove Sarah crazy, "he chuckled, "We saw him on the news all the time, defending criminals that had come outta the shadows. He took on every case, naturally, but Sarah couldn't deal with it I guess. "he shrugged, "I mean, from what I could tell he was makin' pretty good money. I thought Sarah would've loved it. But from what I remember Jazmine tellin' me, Sarah hated those first few years. "there was a pause.

"Why did y'all leave? "Rummy asked the one question Huey and Riley knew they would ask, and they had every right to. Ed fell silent, as if he was waiting for a reply. Riley turned to Huey, who only sighed and leaned forwards in his stool, hovering over his glass and staring into it, "We got into some trouble, "he murmured, "It's a long, long story. I can tell it, and anything else you want to know…after I've seen Jazmine. "

Rummy chuckled, "I still don't know if it's a good idea. "he said, "All that tension after seven years? C'mon, Jazmine holds grudges now. "

"I can imagine, "Huey replied, "But I have to see her. I never got…we…never had the…, "he trailed off, unable to finish his sentence. Rummy only nodded, "Yeah, yeah man. I know. "

Ed took one last shot before standing up. He fished out a wad of cash from his pocket and slapped it onto the counter, "Drink's on me, "he said, eyeing the three. He turned around and began walking away, balling up his fists and sticking them in his pockets. Rummy followed, and Huey and Riley were forced to leave, too. They exited the building and climbed back into Rummy's car, who took the driver's seat once again and took off after everyone had ambled their way inside.

The ride was mostly silent. Rummy drove them back to the hotel, where Huey and Riley got off. "So, tomorrow, the funeral starts at four, "Rummy began, "we gotta stay for at least the beginning portion, the actual funeral, "both Huey and Riley nodded, "then, we can head over to where they girls might be. Bring a change of clothes, and again, I'm saying might, as in there's a chance they might not even be there tomorrow. "

The two nodded again, "We understand, Rummy, "Riley insisted, "we're good. "

"Great, and aye, "Ed caught their attention before they could turn around and leave, "Welcome back, it's been way too long, "he cracked the two a goofy grin before Rummy sped off out of the hotel's parking lot, leaving two confused Freeman boys to contemplate their options.

Ed watched the hotel disappear in the rearview mirror, "You think we'll actually see them tomorrow? "he asked Rummy. Rummy shrugged, "I mean, I really think we will. They're always there on Saturdays, "he replied, making a turn, "You know they'll freak out when they see 'em. It has been seven years...all that pent up anger? Shit..., "

Ed chuckled, "All hell's about to break loose. "

* * *

After leaving the three at the hotel, Sarah had hopped back into her car and sped off. She passed by several of the more dilapidated neighborhoods before reaching the downtown area. Her home was on the other side of Woodcrest, and it had been a drive to get to the airport from her home. She drummed her fingers nervously on her steering wheel; Sarah was contemplating.

When she had been told by her friend that Robert had called her old phone, a whole swirl of emotions ran through her mind. Had she felt anger? Yes. Had she felt confusion? Yes. This was the grandfather of Huey Freeman, the guy who'd mysteriously left Woodcrest seven years ago and broke her daughter's heart. She remembered how heartbroken Jazmine had been for months after the breakup...and her spiral into almost total isolation from other people besides her best friend, Cindy, who was going through the same thing. But there was one thing that she had felt that was greater than all her other emotions, and that was fear.

Sarah was afraid, not for herself, but for Huey and Riley. Woodcrest was a whole different city now, and it wasn't one they were going to like. She honestly had no idea why she'd even agreed to pick them up; maybe it was curiosity. Well, she was curious. She wanted to see what they looked liked now in person, she wanted to know what those seven years had done to them. She had to admit; they had definitely grown into handsome, capable looking young men. From what Robert had told her, both boys owned a business together and were doing quite well. Thinking about their success made Sarah cringe slightly; sure, her daughter had found success in her own way, but it wasn't the safest way.

As she drove, she glanced at her phone. She had some inkling in her to call her daughter and warn her about the arrival of her ex. But Jazmine wasn't really her daughter anymore; she hadn't been for seven years. Sarah and Jazmine did not have the best mother-daughter relationship in the world, which was why they lived in separate areas of Woodcrest. Sarah knew that Jazmine was buying her things to keep her silent, to which she did not deny. Sarah could do whatever she pleased with Jazmine's name, but even that could only take her so far. They didn't exactly celebrate birthdays and holidays together, and they definitely did not do "mother-daughter outings" like spa days and dinner dates. Nonetheless, Sarah did care for Jazmine as her child...but should she warn her daughter of Huey and Riley?

Her phone buzzed, startling her. She stopped at a red light and picked up her phone. Glancing at it, she read the name: Lovey. Sarah smiled to herself; Lovey was a nickname for Jason, her current boyfriend whom she'd been dating for the past six months. Before that, there'd been a Henry, a Bryan, a Jacob, a Marcus, a Raymond...she sure did date a lot after she finally divorced Tom. She read the text message quickly. **From Lovey: Dinner tonight at Denzi's?**

Sarah typed a quick response. **To Lovey: Denzi's sounds amazing. Home in twenty.** She placed her phone in the cupholder just as the light turned green, and she took off. At the next light, she picked up her phone again to text her maid that she'd need her to watch her dog, Shay, but as she scrolled through her contacts, her eyes lingered on her daughter's contact. Glancing up, she checked to see if the light had changed, and it hadn't.

She thought for a moment longer before shaking her head, putting her phone back down and driving once more once the light had turned green. She wouldn't tell Jazmine or Cindy. She had no doubt in her mind that the boys would go looking for them sooner or later. They'd find out then.

* * *

 **I'm officially a college student now, and I'll try to update as often as I can.**

 **xoxo, Queen**


	5. Underworld

**chapter 4**

* * *

Preparing for the funeral took longer than the boys had expected. They woke up as early as they could, which was around nine, and went to get breakfast for themselves and for their grandfather. Upon returning, they had decided to wait a little while before actually getting ready. Their grandfather spent this time entertaining himself by watching TV and constantly asking Huey and Riley to help him change the channels. The nagging was annoying, but it helped take the boys' mind off of their true intentions for the day. They hadn't told Robert, and were not planning to at any point. When three rolled around, the anxiety in their stomachs began to clench up and drive them crazy.

Of course, the three wore black; black suits, black ties, black shoes, and Huey and Riley had popped on some black sunglasses. Their grandfather took the longest to get ready, and it took Riley helping him into his suit to make the process go by a little faster. He made sure he looked his Sunday best, and fussed over the littlest things.

Huey was in his bathroom, staring into his mirror as he fixed hit tie. There was a faint knock on the door, and Riley stepped in, his shades propped up on his head, "Aye, you ready? Ed and Rummy are here. "Huey nodded, "Yeah, "he grabbed a black backpack he had placed on the counter and slung it over his shoulder. As he stepped out, he spotted a similar bag on Riley's back. The two were bringing clothes with them, as Ed had instructed them the day before. Most likely they would either be changing downstairs, away from Robert's prying eyes, or wherever there were going.

Ed and Rummy were giving the three a ride to the funeral, which was supposed to be an hour long, with a reception afterwards, however they were only staying for the funeral. From there, they'd bring Robert back to the hotel, and then head on to the place Ed had described to the two. Neither Riley nor Huey knew what to expect, but they knew that they head to prepare for the worst.

Riley reentered Robert's room, "C'mon granddad, Ed and Rummy are here, "he said, helping his grandfather stand from a chair he'd plopped himself into. Robert grunted as he stood, and grabbed ahold of his best black cane, which he had brought along for the occasion. He gestured to a table by the window, which had a bouquet of flowers lying on it, courtesy of Huey, who had gone that morning to pick them up per his grandfather's request. Huey grabbed ahold of the flowers, beautiful white roses, while Riley helped Robert stand and hobble out of the door.

It took a little bit, but the three finally made it outside. There, they spotted Rummy's car parked in the same spot as the day before. At the sight of the three, the passenger door opened, and Ed stepped out, dressed in all black. He helped Robert take his place in the passenger's side before jumping into the backseat of the car with Riley and Huey, "Thank you kindly, "Robert said to Ed, who nodded, "Of course. "

Robert situated himself in his seat, adjusting it as necessary and repositioning himself. After a minute, he pulled out a napkin from his coat pocket and began to cough into it. After the third cough, he wiped his mouth shakily and balled the napkin up into his hand, "Forgive me for my coughin', I ain't what I used to be, "he cracked a small smile at the four. Rummy nodded, "No worries, "he assured him as he began driving.

The drive to the cemetery was quiet. Huey and Riley were too nervous to actually speak, and Robert was too tired, although he would make a comment about the scenery every once in a while to the boys. Ed and Rummy kept glancing at each other through the rear-view mirror, and both Huey and Riley noticed their uncomfortable attitudes. They knew that neither had wanted to actually do this. As they drove, the boys stared out of the windows at the scenery, trying to find something familiar. They were on another side of Woodcrest as opposed to where they grew up, so nothing really stood out.

It took thirty minutes for the five to reach the cemetery. It was actually close to the side of town where Huey and Riley used to live, so they began to recognize a few things here and there along the way, despite that most of what they recognized was almost unrecognizable. Upon entering the parking lot, Rummy parked close to the front. Riley was the first to hop out into the crisp air, and he went to the passenger's side instantly, opening the door for Robert, who pulled himself out. Huey stood behind Riley, holding onto the flowers.

After Robert had managed to stand, he grabbed onto his cane and onto Riley, and the five made their way into the cemetery. They were met by a young brunette in what looked like a uniform for the funeral home, who offered to let them ride in a golf cart to where they funeral was taking place in the cemetery. They accepted, and piled into the cart with another man, who was driving.

"I didn't know cemetery's had stuff like this, "Riley thought aloud as they drove along, jolting at the bumps in the gravel road. Huey shrugged, "I would think most do. "he answered simply. Robert jerked around as they bounced along the uneven road, and Huey and Riley held onto both of his arms as tightly as they could, hoping he wouldn't pitch forwards.

It wasn't hard to see where Ruckus's burial would be; there was already a small crowd flocked under a large, white pop-up canopy. As they got off of the cart, Huey recognized a few faces, although vaguely, from his childhood. He spotted Ruckus's mother, Bunny Ruckus, who still sported the same blonde hair and blue eyes after all these years. Huey remembered that she had always wanted to be known as the first "natural" blonde black woman with blue eyes, although everyone knew that she dyed her hair and wore contacts. She was crying into the shoulder of one of Ruckus's two brothers, whom Huey could not remember the name of. Huey recalled that the last time he'd seen any of Ruckus's family was when he was ten and his grandmother died in his grandfather's favorite recliner, and then Ruckus's father died at the funeral. Ruckus's family was indeed a strange family.

In the crowd, he spotted mainly unfamiliar faces, "Who are all these people? "he asked Ed as they approached. Ed shrugged, "Most of 'em are his employers, and some of his family. I think his mom, her husband, and his two brothers are here. I think Tom's somewhere in the crowd, but don't go looking for him. "Huey nodded, and the five found a seat towards the middle of the crowd. The people were restless; they wanted the funeral to start. Huey and Riley didn't want to admit it, but they wanted it to be over with, too. Women had brought fans to air themselves off, there were children squirming in their seats and babies threatening to cry. The men pulled at their collars and would stare aimlessly at the ground. A few people carried bottles of water, and one woman who worked for the cemetery was passing a few out to vying guests.

Finally, a preacher stepped up to a podium, "Good afternoon, "he said loudly, "Please, if you would rise for the bringing of the casket. "the crowd rose, and a melodic tune began to play on a small radio perched by the podium. A casket was being brought in by a few men, who looked somber. It was a simple, black casket; smooth and clean. They set it down in the front, on tall wooden planks, allowing the casket to be level with one's waist. They quickly sat down close to the front, and the ceremony began.

The preacher droned on for twenty minutes about life and death, and so on. After his speech, the preacher stepped off and took a seat besides the podium, and Bunny took the spotlight. She was a mess: her eyes were big and puffy, mascara streamed down her cheeks, and she held onto a box of tissues. Shakily, she leaned over to speak, "M-my son was taken from me, "she said, her voice wavering, "My son, my sweet boy, died an unnatural death. My son fell victim to a horrible crime, and he paid the ultimate price. "she took out a tissue and blew her nose into it loudly before continuing, "I will neva get to hear my son speak again, or see his number on my phone. I will neva get to hold my son, or eat dinner with him. His brothers will never get to share their lives with him, and the lives of their children. My son will neva get to see anotha sunrise, sunset, or moonlit night. My son...my sweet boy, did nothin' wrong. This world has lost a son, brother, uncle, and a hard worker. "she paused.

Her testimony was so powerful that it almost made Huey shed a tear. But of course, he didn't. However, in the crowd, several people were brought to tears, and Huey and Riley could hear a few sniffles and sighs. Even Riley wiped a tear from his eye, but he didn't shed anymore, "There is no justice for my son, and as his mother, it is my duty to make sure that he does receive justice. "there were several 'amens' in the crowd, and Bunny nodded, as if those amens bolstered her, "I will make sure my son is avenged, that justice is served, so that his soul may rest in peace. "

After her final words, she stepped off of the podium, clenching her tissue box in her hands. The whole crowd was obviously moved by her speech, but out of respect for her, they remained rather silent, with a few people nodding and mumbling praise. The preacher retook his place on the podium and said one final prayer before the family was invited up to the front to lay single red roses on the casket. After that, a few workers came over and picked up the casket, and it was lowered into a hole in the ground.

Everyone watched as the hole was filled with dirt with somber expressions. Bunny's occasional outcry was the only real noise in the crowd. After a few minutes, the workers stepped aside, and allowed for the onlookers to place their gifts and flowers atop the newly placed grave.

Robert hobbled over to the grave, where a gravestone had already been perched. It read: "Here likes Uncle Ruckus, no relation. Beloved son, brother, uncle, and worker. May he rest in peace". He sighed as he touched the freshly carved stone, and placed his flowers atop the dirt, "Farewell, old coot, "he murmured, a hint of a sad smile on his face. Robert had so many memories with Ruckus, both good and bad. Ruckus may have been a racist man, but he was still a hard working man, and a dear friend, despite the fact that he was rather obnoxious.

Gently, Huey and Riley led him away from the grave. They approached Bunny, who smiled at the three, "Well hello there, "she said kindly, but there were tears in her eyes, "I remember y'all, "Robert nodded and spoke: "Ma'am, I'm so sorry for your loss, "he spoke softly, timidly; Huey and Riley knew he was growing tired. Bunny nodded, taking ahold of his hands with her own, "Thank you so much for comin' all the way out here for his funeral, "she gave him a tight-lipped smile, "You don't know how much this would mean to Uncle. "Robert smiled, and he coughed. He leaned on Riley, "Excuse us, "Riley said, "we gotta get him back to bed. He's been out too long. "

"Of course, "Bunny nodded, "Please, take care, and thank y'all so much for comin', it really does mean so much to us, "she gestured to the rest of her family, and the boys nodded, "Take care, "Huey extended his hand in a handshake, and she took it, "Y'all take care now, too, "she replied. The three stepped aside to allow Ed and Rummy to pay their respects.

"Where are we going now? "Robert asked as the boys led him away, "You're gonna go back to the hotel, "Riley said firmly, "Huey and I are gonna spend some more time with Ed and Rummy, see if we can get ahold of Cindy and Jazmine before we leave. "Robert nodded, "Yes, that sounds good, "he mused. Riley and Huey cast each other a glance; it wasn't a total lie, at least there was that.

Ed and Rummy escorted the three back to the car, where they piled inside and took off. They finally reached the hotel, and both Huey and Riley excused themselves for a moment, secretly grabbing their bags to change into different clothes. After they'd escorted their grandfather back into his room and securely locked him inside, they headed back down and changed in a guest bathroom, away from their grandfather's prying eyes. They did not want him questioning their choice of change in attire, because they were not dressing for a casual event. Oddly enough, Robert never even seemed to notice their backpacks, but he also wasn't paying a whole lot of attention to them.

Fifteen minutes later, the two stepped back outside and towards Ed and Rummy, who had also taken the liberty to change from their nice suits and into more fitting outfits. They both were similar outfits; black pants, black shoes, white button ups, dark vests, and shades. They had told the boys to wear something fancy, not dreary funeral outfits, so the boys had dressed as best as they could. They both wore black silk suits, minus the coat, with Huey wearing a dark purple silk shirt and Riley wearing a royal blue one. Their shoes were shiny and looked brand new, and Huey wore a tie, while Riley opted for a bowtie. They wore similar black shades to Ed and Rummy, and carried a gun in their pants. However, neither Ed nor Rummy knew this.

"Well, well, "Ed whistled, "Y'all knew exactly how to dress for the occasion. "he smirked at the two as they neared. Huey shrugged, "We've had experience, "he looked to his brother, who snickered.

The two hopped into the backseat once more, and the car took off.

* * *

They had traveled into the heart of Woodcrest; the busy and bustling downtown area. This was where the crime was most prevalent; this was where Jazmine and Cindy hung out. As kids, Huey and Riley never really ventured into the downtown area. Huey held down a part time job somewhere downtown his junior year of high school, but it was only for a few months until he found another closer to home, and for good reason. Woodcrest Downtown was like a maze. After making a few twists and turns, they had traveled through the business part of the city and into the area that neither Huey nor Riley had ever actually been to; Tenth Ward. It was called Tenth Ward by locals, although Huey and Riley didn't really know what this area of Woodcrest was actually called. Either way, this was the bad part of the city.

The streets were littered with trash, and they spotted a few prostitutes scoping the area, walking up and down the streets. There were men hanging around liquor stores and driving in made-up cars to show off. There were hardly any children around, and the few that did pop up were often young boys accompanied by older men. Everyone looked exactly the same; mean, like they'd rob you of everything you owned if they had the chance. This place reminded the two a lot of where they grew up in Chicago, only less diverse. It was after six, and the sun was starting to set in the distance. Riley glanced around nervously, "Y'all sure they'll be here? "he asked, as if he was unsure. Ed nodded, "Yup. Just stay with us. "he said in a low voice.

They continued to drive through the streets until they rounded a corner, heading into a parking lot that was surprisingly packed with cars. They parked close to the side, and hopped out of the car. Huey and Riley scanned their surroundings, which was no different from what they'd already seen so far, "Well this isn't too comforting, "Riley joked, and Huey rolled his eyes, "C'mon, we gotta follow them. "

Huey and Riley followed Ed and Rummy as they made their way towards a nearby building. However, instead of heading towards the front, they made their way to the side alleyway. It was a dark, dank alley, with little light. There was a single door on the side of the building, lit only by a single light that was hung above the door. They approached, and Ed cautiously knocked. After a moment, the door opened slightly, and Huey barely made out a figure in the dim light, "Back already? "the figure chortled, but then saw Huey and Riley. Riley could see the figure's eyes narrow.

Ed smiled, "They're with us, don't worry, "he assured the figure in a calm, smooth voice. After a moment's hesitation, the door full opened, revealing an average looking guy dressed up in all black. He was shorter than both Huey and Riley, but still looked as though he was ready to fight anyone that came his way. However, he merely stepped aside, and allowed the four to enter.

They were heading downwards instead of upwards, and the more they ventured in, the darker it got, "Where are we? "Riley asked. They soon stepped into a dimly lit room, and Ed chuckled, "Welcome to the Underworld, "he said, gesturing around them.

They were now in what looked like a bar/strip club. Instead of normal lights, there were primarily red and purple lights that flashed brightly, mixed with the occasional white or blue. The room then continued downwards with more stairs, revealing a lower level. Towards the back of the lower level was a stage that branched off into three sections, where a part of the stage extended forwards. Connected to the ends were long poles that reached the ceiling. There were several girls clad in nothing but lingerie that danced and walked around. Sitting in the seats were men that whooped and hollered, throwing money towards the stage, and towards the vying dancers that swooped up the bills in one motion. To the left was a large bar area, decked out in liquor galore, and was the only part of the room that seemed well lit. In the wings above, where the four stood, there were more people that idled around, drinking and talking. There were machines for gambling, too, and everyone around them carried almost visible guns at their sides, and they mainly hung out in groups. Everyone they looked at was dressed up for the occasion, like they needed to show off. Men wore flashy gold chains, watches, and wore expensive suits while women wore too-sexy dresses and were decked out in rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. There was smoke in the air, which gave off a little bit of a hazy effect.

"This is Woodcrest's Underworld? "Riley whistled, impressed. Ed nodded, "Yup, founded a few years ago and has been booming ever since. Most of the crime lords hang out here on Saturday nights. "they descended the stairs and entered the lower level, where the party was really happening, and Ed continued to talk, "Everyone here dabbles in somethin', you name it: smuggling, ransom, trafficking, kidnapping, prostitution, anything illegal you can think of, these people have done it. "Huey and Riley glanced at each other with equally unsettled expressions.

As soon as they'd entered the area, they were approached by a man and woman, "Ed, Rummy, good to see you! "the man cheered, enveloping the two into a hug. Ed smiled, "Henry, how long's it been, a month? "he then hugged the woman, "Camilla, you look beautiful as always, "the woman giggled, pushing a strand of her long blonde hair behind her, "Why thank you, Ed, "she then turned to Rummy and gave him a hug, too. She wore a blue skintight jumpsuit that had a low cut front and slits along the legs, paired with black heels. She wore a lot of makeup, and her hazel eyes glinted in the changing lights. The man was a little older than her, and was rather short with a small potbelly and thinning brown hair.

She spotted Huey and Riley and looked them over, "Who are your…friends? "she asked, smiling devilishly at the two. Ed chuckled, "These are some old friends of ours, Huey and Riley, "he introduced the two, who nodded towards the man and woman. "Well, nice to meet you. I'm Camilla Lytton. This is my…partner, "she hesitated as she gestured to the man next to her, "Henry Evans. "he extended his hand out in a handshake, and both Riley and Huey took turns shaking his hand. Both boys assumed that there were either married or a couple, although she was acting like they weren't.

"Hey, so, "Rummy addressed Camilla, "You heard from them? "he said 'them' in a slightly different tone, and she gave him a thin smile, "No, not yet. They're coming, though, didn't you hear? "she then giggled, "They landed something really good, they're celebrating. "

"Ah, well that's good, maybe they're in a good mood. "Ed muttered. Camilla arched a brow, but shrugged. He turned around to Huey and Riley as Camilla and Henry walked away, "Let's just chill for a little bit, they should be here soon. "

Huey and Riley nodded, following Ed and Rummy to the bar. There, they sat side by side and ordered some drinks, "Why would they be in a place like this? "Riley asked, "Who do they work for? Don't tell me they're strippers. "the thought of Jazmine being a stripper at a place like this made Huey's face heat up slightly in anger, and Riley was feeling a similar emotion. Ed and Rummy gave each other sideways glances as their drinks were served. Ed took a gulp of his, "Nah, they don't work for anyone, "Rummy shook his head, chuckling softly, "They work with each other. "

Huey arched a brow, "Wait, wait, are you telling me that Jazmine and Cindy…are crime lords? "Ed shrugged, "They call themselves Crime Queens, "he rolled his eyes, "But yeah, they're pretty…big around here. "he sighed, "I told y'all, things changed around here, they changed. "Huey's eyes were wide in shock, "Why? Why did they go down that route? Is it really because of that breakup? "he took a shot.

Ed shrugged, "I really don't know. I mean, I don't know all the details about everything they've gotten into, but I do know the parts that I was in. "he thought for a moment, "I told y'all, the first time I ever saw them taking interest in this life was a few months after y'all left. After that, they were in and out of jobs with me and Rummy for a few months before they began working their way past us. "he shrugged, "We only did jobs like that for the money, but they, well…they seemed to enjoy it. "he shook his head, "It was like a whole new world for them, a whole new outlet. They couldn't get enough. I saw a fire in their eyes after that first stunt we did—they were hooked. "

"Stealing is like a drug, "Rummy chimed in from the other side of Ed, "They did it once and got hooked almost immediately. I remember the months after that: Cindy and Jazmine became partners in crime. Always doin' something against the law, gettin' into trouble. First it was robberies, and then it was smuggling. That changed to drug trafficking, then ransom holds, and so on. "

"Did Jazmine ever do anything she'd wanted to do? "Huey asked quietly, but it was more of a rhetorical quesiton. Nonetheless, Ed shrugged, "I dunno, I never really looked into that part in her life. I only know a small part of it, the part I saw. One thing I know for sure, though, is that Jazmine's a cutthroat woman now. Cindy's not any nicer. In fact, they don't do anything without each other, and that includes makin' decisions. "he eyed the two boys.

Huey felt a hand on his shoulder, interrupting his thoughts about Jazmine. He turned around and was face to face with a dancer. She was pretty tall and had long, dark brown hair and brown eyes with dark skin. She wore a skimpy outfit with tall, black stilettoes that added at least seven inches to her height. She smiled at Huey, her red lips becoming thin, "Well I've never seen you here before, "she mused in a sultry voice. Huey gave her a look, although she probably didn't even notice it.

"Hey, who'd you find over here? "another voice asked. Riley now had another young woman leaning on him. She was Asian, with black hair that was cut into a shoulder length bob and slanted brown eyes. She wore a Chinese looking dress that barely stopped midthigh and equally tall stilettoes than the first girl. They both reeked of alcohol and metal, like coins. The Asian practically draped herself over Riley, her pink lips pouted. Riley inwardly groaned and had the sudden urge to push her off, but he had no idea who he'd piss off if he did that.

"I don't know, "the first girl responded innocently, her eyes never leaving Huey. She continued to smile, "I'm Sugar, "she said, "this's Lolli, "she gestured to the Asian, who clicked her tongue and leaned in closer to Riley. Riley began to inch away from her, but she was dead set on keeping him locked in her grasp. Huey rolled his eyes, but they couldn't see it behind his glasses, "Did y'all need something? "he asked, his voice deep.

Sugar smiled seductively, "Well baby, I've been coming here for a little while and I've never seen someone quite like you before, "she gave him a once over, and Riley was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with Lolli practically drooling over him. Huey nodded, "I've never come here before, "he admitted. He turned to Ed and Rummy, "These are my friends, Ed and Rummy, "he said, his voice practically begging the two to intervene. Sugar smiled at them, too, "I know I've seen you both here before, but I've never talked to either of ya, "she sauntered over to the two, Lolli behind her, their attention now caught by Ed and Rummy.

Riley exhaled quietly, turning to Huey, "Thanks man, "he whispered. Huey nodded, "No problem, "he stood up, a glass in hand, "I'm gonna go walking around, "he announced. Riley stood up, "You ain't goin' alone, I'm goin' with ya, "they turned to signal Ed and Rummy that they were walking away, but Ed and Rummy were already in a steamy make out session with the two girls. They waved their hands at Huey and Riley, and they took it as an 'okay'. They grabbed their drinks from the bar and began to mosey their way into the thickening crowd.

It was exhausting as they watched people dance, chat, and try so hard to show off to each other. It was like everyone in the room needed to prove something to everyone else, like they were better. Every once in a while the two would catch a part of a conversation here and there, and most of the topics were over illegal activities. Huey and Riley stuck exclusively to each other, pushing past people as gently as they could and apologizing for running into anyone. They were not there to draw attention to themselves or attract trouble, although neither were afraid of getting into a fight if they really needed to. For the most part, they stuck to the sidelines, which was something they rarely did at any event.

An hour later, they managed to find their way into an empty table. They had roamed the dance floor and the stage area the entire time, their gaze on the sea of people in search for Jazmine and Cindy. But, they'd had no such luck, and now found themselves slumped into chairs that faced the stage, where different strippers had emerged from and were prancing around. Huey had finished his drink, but Riley was still working on his, "You need any more? "Huey asked, and Riley shook his head, "Not yet, I'm almost there, though. "he replied, taking a small sip. He was drinking something he wasn't used to; it was a lot bitter than he would've liked, but Riley didn't chicken out of anything, so drank it anyways.

Huey began looking around, "Where d'you think Ed and Rummy went to? "he asked. Riley shrugged, "You saw how hard those girls came onto them, "he chucked, "I bet you they're getting laid or somethin'. "he looked at his phone, "Damn, we've been here for over an hour and no sign of 'em anywhere. Didn't they say they'd come tonight? "

"They said that they might come, "Huey emphasized the word 'might', "We knew it'd be a long shot coming here. "he leaned back into his seat, sighing as he rubbed his forehead with a hand. Riley sighed, "What do you make of all this? "he then asked. This made Huey turn his attention back to his brother, "Of what? Jazmine and Cindy? Or Woodcrest? "he cocked his head to the side, as if he was mocking Riley. Riley set his drink down on the table and threw his hands up into the air, "All of it nigga! The whole situation. "

Huey stared into his empty cup, "I don't know, "he admitted slowly, "I always knew that they'd move on with their lives, forget about us, but I had never expected something like…this, "he gestured around them, the music blaring and mixing in with the noise of the growing crowd, "This is some pretty big shit, especially for those two. "

"We got into some pretty big shit too, "Riley countered, gulping down the last of his drink. The liquid burned his throat, but he bit back the urge to cough, "Yeah, but we didn't actually plan on landing into trouble, "Huey argued back, "Looks like Jazmine and Cindy went looking for it. "

Riley shrugged, knowing that his brother was right. Jazmine and Cindy…had actually gone looking for trouble. Riley could've seen Cindy in this position, sure, they were wild in their teen years. But Jazmine? Jazmine was the good girl, not only that; she was Huey's girl. Always had been. She never partied, never stayed out past her curfew, and was always extremely loyal to Huey. Riley remembered how Jazmine would always hang around Huey and follow Huey almost everywhere, and he did the same to her. Riley had seen Jazmine getting an honest job and probably engaged by this point. But this life…this was something unexpected indeed.

Huey stared into his cup, "I would imagine what Jazmine was doing with her life, "he admitted absently. He chuckled softly at himself, "I dreamed about her a lot, especially those first few years. I always wondered how her life would play out without me in it. "Riley sighed, "What did you see? "he asked. Huey propped his head up with his arm, his elbow on the table, "I always imagined that she would attend college, graduate, become a veterinarian like how she talked about. She always wanted to save the animals or whatever, and that was her number one dream job since we were like twelve. "Riley had to chuckle. Huey looked up a him, "What about you? Did you think about Cindy? "Riley scoffed, "'Course I did nigga. I thought about her like that too, but I always thought she'd be the baddest point guard on a basketball team, "he bit his bottom lip, "Yeah, I dreamed she'd be dustin' niggas on the court and takin' shit from no one. "Huey shrugged, "I guess she isn't now. "

The two heard a small crash behind Huey, and he was grabbed by the shoulder. Ed poked his head in between the two brothers, interrupting their thoughts. "I hope I wasn't interrupting things, "he said, "But…they're here. "

At those words, the two instantly stood up, abandoning their drinks on the empty table. They weaved their way through the crowd, following Ed. They met up with Rummy back at the bar, who looked just as disheveled as Ed, "I see someone had a fun night, "Riley joked, and Rummy blushed slightly. Suddenly, he looked up, and he nodded his head, "There goes your girl, "he said. Holding their breath, the two slowly turned around, preparing for anything. This was seven years in the making, and everything had led up to this moment.

Descending the stairs were two young women, and the moment the brothers laid eyes on them, their hearts almost stopped.

The first to come down was a young white woman. She had long, beautiful blonde hair that was pulled back up into a slicked back pony tail with a glittery band at the base made of diamonds that sparkled in the changing lights. She wore a dark blue latex looking dress that had a deep dip in the front and showed off a lot of cleavage. The dress stopped a few inches below her knees, and hugged her body so tight that it looked like she couldn't breathe. She wore a pair of clear heels that added a few inches to her height, making her appear taller than what she probably was. Her makeup was flawlessly done, and when she smiled, it was blinding. Riley instantly recognized her, and his heart leapt into his throat as he watched her carefully descend the stairs.

Huey's eyes had trailed to the woman behind her. This woman had warm, caramel skin and the biggest, puffiest strawberry blonde afro he'd ever seen in his life, but he knew that strawberry blonde afro. She wore a dark purple dress that hugged her waist just as snugly as the woman in front of her. Her dress reached the floor almost, and had two large slits that went up her legs on both sides, revealing her long, toned legs and purple heels. She also had a large dip in the front of her dress that showed off ample cleavage, and another one in the back. Her makeup was done just as flawless as the first woman, and she wore a silky purple headband to keep her afro from falling into her face. She smiled, and he could spot her pearly white teeth from where he was sitting.

The boys gawked at the two as the entered the party scene, seemingly unfazed by the bright lights and loud noises. They looked calm, cool, and collected. Most of all, they looked...comfortable. They looked like they belonged, that this was their world, and it very well could have been with how everyone around them seemed to shrink away as they made their entrance. Huey and Riley turned to look at Ed and Rummy, who shrugged, "It's Jazmine and Cindy, "Ed said, stating the obvious.

"Aka Emerald and Crystal, Crime Queens, in the flesh, "Rummy added, taking another much needed shot.

* * *

 **Finally introducing Jazmine and Cindy into the story. R &R. PS I wrote my first rated M story called Vision if y'all wanna check it out. It's a one shot (as of right now). **

**xoxo, Queen**


	6. Crime Queens

**Back with another chapter**

* * *

Lights flashed into Jazmine Dubois's eyes, and she pulled her hand up to shield them. There was loud music blaring from speakers, and she could barely hear herself think over the conversations in the room. People were talking, laughing, screaming, and howling to each other and to the music. In the back, she spotted the strippers, who pranced around like dolls, their hands outstretched to take money from onlookers. It was just another night in Woodcrest's Underworld, which seemed to be growing as of late. The last time Jazmine was here, it wasn't nearly as crowded. Business must have been booming for more of the boss's to be coming out of the shadows.

She stopped as she reached the bottom of the stairs, and bumped into her best friend, Cindy McPhearson. Cindy had stopped to scope out the scene, "What'cha wanna do? "she asked Jazmine, turning to look at her with big blue eyes that glimmered in the flashing lights. Jazmine shrugged, wincing at a pain in her shoulder. Cindy arched a brow, "You sure you good Jazzy? "she now asked, concerned. Jazmine smiled reassuringly and nodded, "Of course. That shotgun just had a little more kickback than I thought, "she chuckled, readjusting her shoulder, "I'm surprised I don't have a bigger bruise. "

Cindy laughed, grabbing ahold of Jazmine's hand, "C'mon Jaz, when was the last time you got laid? "she asked her, arching her brow. Jazmine rolled her eyes, "Two months ago, "she admitted, looking down at her heels. Jazmine had been so caught up with her own plans that she hadn't had time to even look for a partner, even though it was always only for sex. Jazmine didn't do 'dating' anymore, she hadn't since, well, high school, and that was a lifetime ago. Cindy eyed her best friend and sighed; she knew that Jazmine had a harder time looking for partners, not because she couldn't get anyone, but because she was just so damn picky. Cindy herself didn't think much of the partners she selected, she rarely contacted them again after a one night stand, "C'mon, let's go get some drinks, "she said, and Jazmine nodded. Cindy led Jazmine through the crowd, weaving around the standing people, towards the bar area.

"Well, well, if it isn't Emerald and Crystal, "a voice said, stopping the two in their tracks. Jazmine turned around and rolled her eyes as soon as she saw who'd spoken, "T-ba, what are you doing? "she asked, although it was more of a rhetorical question. The real question was why wouldn't he be there? T-ba, a tall African-American man with a cropped hairstyle, dark skin, and warm brown eyes, only flashed the two a sneaky grin before snaking his arm around Cindy's waist and pulling her into him, planting a kiss on her neck, "I'm just here to scope out the scene, "he replied innocently, "See who's willing to get laid tonight. "he looked Cindy up and down, and she smirked, but then she frowned slightly, "Not tonight T-ba, "she said, pulling away from his grasp. T-ba frowned slightly, although it was quickly masked with a pleading smile, "C'mon Crys, "he said, calling her by a little nickname he'd given her.

Cindy rolled her eyes now, "No man, I'm still pissed off at you for fuckin' with Leticia behind my back. You know me and that bitch don't like each other, "Cindy crossed her arms over her chest, "She's tryna act like she's hot shit just cause she's gone from being a stripper to the mistress of Cyan this past month. "T-ba sighed, exasperated, "I only fucked her cause you and Jazmine over here left for a whole week, "he argued, trying to defend himself. He gave the girls an apologetic grin, "You know I only have eyes for you Cindy baby, "he mused. Cindy rolled her eyes once more, "Yeah, like I'd believe that, "she shot back, "I know your game, 'cause it's the same one we play. "T-ba sighed, and made another advancement towards Cindy.

Jazmine stepped in, blocking him from reaching Cindy, "Go fuck with one of those strippers over there, "she gestured behind her, to the stage, "We ain't feeling it tonight. You don't want to make us mad, do you? "as if to warn him, she pulled out a jet black gun, a glock, from the purse she carried, flashing it at T-ba menacingly. T-ba raised his hands up and began backing away, "Aye, can't blame a dude for tryna shoot his shot, "he said. His eyes caught ahold of another girl passing by, and he disappeared into the crowd. Cindy huffed, "Why do we still fuck with him? "she asked Jazmine. Jazmine shrugged, "Cause his dick game is pretty good, "the two erupted into laughter, "C'mon, I'm still looking to drink, "Jazmine said, interlocking an arm with Cindy's.

Across the room, Huey and Riley gawked at the two, mesmerized. They were just as beautiful as they'd remembered. But even from their position several yards away, they could feel the intensity of the power they had over everyone else. Everyone around them moved out of their way as soon as they saw them, and no one actually approached the two except for the one man, whom neither Huey nor Riley got a good look at. Huey stood up, aiming to walk up to Jazmine, but Ed grabbed his arm and held him back, "Let me go up to her first, "he said, "maybe she won't kill ya if I talk to her. "sighing, Huey nodded. Ed stood up and walked away, leaving Rummy, Riley, and Huey at the bar. Huey turned to Rummy, "I still can't believe it, "he admitted, and Riley nodded, "Neither can I. They're criminals, man, whole criminals. "he took a shot. "And y'all aren't? "Rummy asked. Huey sighed, "Not entirely. "it wasn't a total lie.

Ed had managed to weave his way through the crowd, and came face to face with the two girls, who spotted him instantly. Their faces broke out into huge smiles, "Ed! "Cindy exclaimed, fist bumping him. Jazmine nodded his way, "Ed, I haven't seen you here in a while, any reason? "Ed shrugged, "Nah, you know Rummy and I aren't really in the game much anymore. "he said, scratching his head. This was a conversation the three had often; Jazmine and Cindy couldn't understand why Ed and Rummy didn't dive into crime more often, especially with the skills they had. Ed and Rummy were well known throughout Woodcrest crime, and they had only honed and perfected their skills over the years.

"Too bad, "Cindy shrugged, "Aye though, we just made a perfect plan. We'd love you and Rummy to join, "she said, "It's gonna be…a big job. "she turned to Jazmine, who smirked. Ed shrugged, "Maybe, but hey, I need to tell y'all something, "he gestured for the two to sit with him at a nearby table, and they complied. The two had managed to snag drinks off of a woman who'd been walking around with a tray full of shots, and took their first sips of the night.

Rummy heard commotion coming from the upper level; faint stomping could be heard above ground. Huey and Riley looked up, "What was that? "Riley asked. Rummy frowned, "Cops, "he muttered, "They've been tryna raid this place for weeks. Maybe they've finally got the manpower. "he took one last shot before standing up, "C'mon, we gotta warn Ed. "

"Are you sure we should go over there? "Huey asked, standing with Riley. Rummy shook his head, "Just stay behind me, "he instructed, "I dunno what Ed's told them, but knowin' him he's gonna try to draw it out as long as possible. "the three began to move through the crowd, running into people on accident and almost tripping over dresses that were a tad too long on some women, "Why the cops tryna raid now? "Riley asked, to which Rummy shrugged, "I dunno, they always come by this place but never do anything. Most of the cops in this area are bribed by other crime lords to keep quiet, but there are some that remain loyal to their force. Those are the hard asses that don't comply, and usually they remain under the radar because some crime lords will take hits out on them. "Huey and Riley nodded, but the thought still made them uneasy.

"What is it? "Cindy asked, arching a brow. She and Jazmine knew that Ed was hiding something from them just by his body language; he was an easy guy to read. Before Ed could answer, he felt a hand on his shoulder, "Ed, "Rummy leaned over slightly, "I smell cops, "he said, glancing around. He looked up at the girls, who were now frowning as they titled their glasses around on the table, "We gotta go, now, "he said firmly. They stood up, Cindy sighing, "Ugh, our first time here in a while and we already have to leave. I got all dressed up for nothing! "she grabbed her purse and set down her empty glass roughly onto the table. Jazmine stood up and smoothed out her dress, nodding her head, "Let's just go out somewhere, "she suggested, "treat ourselves to a romantic dinner for two. "Cindy and Jazmine began giggling towards each other.

Huey and Riley had lost Rummy in the crowd, but had finally spotted him just as they heard a loud bang from above, which echoed throughout the building. As soon as that happened, the people around them began to run like ants, trying to find a way to get out before they could be arrested. They were nearly trampled by a few strippers trying to run towards the back, and had to push past several other distorted figures before they were able to spot Rummy and Ed standing in front of a table, their backs to them. Without thinking, Riley had raced up to Rummy, Huey behind him, and had grabbed onto his shoulder, "Yo man, we gotta go! "he yelled over the loud commotion.

Rummy turned around, his face going pale, "What are you doin'?! "he asked in a frantic whisper, and it was then that the brothers realized that they were still in the process of talking to Jazmine and Cindy. Riley felt his mouth go dry, and Huey clenched his fists tightly. Ed tried to stand up to block the girls' view as best he could, but he was pushed back down into his seat by Cindy, who heard an all-too familiar voice. She and Jazmine peered around Rummy, and their hearts stopped.

Without thinking, Jazmine pulled out her gun from her purse and pointed it at Huey, Cindy following. It was like an instant reaction; they didn't think, blink, or even breathe. Rummy stood in the way, blocking the two girls from getting a clear shot, which frustrated both of them. Jazmine felt her blood begin to boil, and Cindy's eyes had narrowed and her cheeks were burning from rage. Rummy tried to say something, but Cindy shifted her gun to point at him, and he clamped his mouth shut once more. After eyeing him, she tried to aim back at Riley, but was still unable to get a clear shot.

"What the FUCK are you doing here? "Jazmine demanded, her voice like thunder in the crowd. She had a firm grip on her gun, and she looked ready to fire at any moment. Rummy shook his head, "Listen Jazmine, we can explain everything, but right now we gotta go! "he said, trying to reason with her. At this point, neither girl looked like they wanted to reason, they looked like they wanted to kill.

Huey and Riley were shocked, although the two girls couldn't tell because they still wore their sunglasses. Jazmine and Cindy were literally trying to point guns at them with the intention of killing them, and it was in that moment that both boys realized the gravity of the situation, and how much they both had truly changed. Huey gawked at Jazmine for a moment, and Riley eyed Cindy up and down. He turned to his brother, who nodded. Without hesitation, Huey pulled out his own gun from where he'd been hiding it and aimed at Jazmine, while Riley had pulled out his and pointed it directly at Cindy's head. Ed's jaw dropped, "The fuck y'all doing? We gotta go! "he screamed. There was another loud bang, and he shimmied out of the group and took off into the crowd. Rummy looked back and forth at the girls and at the boys before speaking: "Can y'all kill each other AFTER we get outta here? "he asked, giving the four hard looks. Jazmine huffed, "I'd rather shoot him here NOW, "her voice was like ice, and it killed Huey to hear her that way. But she had every reason to be mad at him.

"Who the fuck—, "Cindy began, but a gunshot forced the five to duck down. Riley groaned, "C'mon nigga! "he grabbed Huey's arm. Cindy's heart leapt in her chest as she heard Riley's voice, and her palms began to sweat. Riley had pulled Huey up and the two were starting to make a run for it, following Ed, "What about-, "Huey tried, but Riley shook his head, "If they wanna stay here and die, then that's their business. "Huey nodded grimly and followed behind Riley. Rummy went after them, leaving the two girls alone at the table. However, another loud bang forced the two to follow.

They made their way through the back, where a kitchen was. Ed was already at a back door, which led down another dark hallway, "C'mon! "he got Riley's attention, and he dragged himself and Huey to the door first. They let Rummy race past them, and then Cindy and Jazmine approached, out of breath but still angry as hell. They cast the two hardened glares, and Jazmine stopped just as she passed Huey, "Just who do you think—, "she was ready to attack Huey, but there was a loud gunshot in the room that caused a few other escapees to scream.

Instinctively, Huey had grabbed onto Jazmine and pulled her down with him roughly, and she yelped as she hit the ground. Riley grabbed Cindy's arm and pulled her through the back door, pulling out his gun. Cindy toppled over herself in the hallway and grunted as her back connected with the hard floor, and she looked up at Riley, who was standing at the doorway, his gun drawn and ready to shoot. Huey already had his out, and as soon as he had the chance, he stood up, readied his gun, aimed, and began firing.

Two cops had managed to make their way inside the room, but Huey had shot at them before they could respond. After firing three times, the two went down; one shot in the head and the other shot in the chest, killing them both instantly. Their bodies crumpled down like dolls, and blood began oozing out of their bullet wounds, making the once white floor a dark red. Jazmine gapped at the sight; she had no idea Huey had the balls to kill two people, cops at that, in cold blood. She looked up at Huey, who only looked down at her. For the first time that night, Jazmine got a good look at him. He still wore his shades, but she could see his defined facial features a lot better in the clear kitchen lighting. His brows were furrowed into a hardened glare, and he was breathing heavily. Sweat was dripping down the side of his face, and he wiped it off with the back of his arm. Jazmine bit her bottom lip and looked away, face slightly flushing.

She stood up and dashed through the door, followed by Huey. Cindy had managed to stand back up, denying Riley's assistance. They rejoined with Ed and Rummy, who had managed to make it halfway down the hall, and continued the rest of the way together, running away from the sound of gunshots and screams. After a few twists and turns, they made their way out a side door, and jumped out into the dark night. The cool air nipped at the girls' exposed skin, and they tried to ignore it as they ran. They followed Ed, who seemed to be leading the way at this point. They rounded a corner, and ducked down just as a few cops rushed past. They pinned themselves to the walls of the building and stuck low to the ground. They waited a few moments, before Ed whispered loudly to the group: "Let's go to my car! "

Before anyone could say anything, Ed and Rummy took off. Riley and Huey both sighed and followed after Ed and Rummy, forcing the girls to join, although they were reluctant. Jazmine had taken her phone out and had dialed a number, "Meet me in the back of that old parking lot near the place, "she ordered to someone that had answered the phone, and hung up.

They had managed to find Ed's car after shimming into the parking lot through a gaping hole in the fence that bordered the lot, and Riley and Huey were glad that they had parked so close to the edge. However, upon approaching it, they were forced to crouch low again as more cops raced by, guns drawn and everything. "Damn, "Ed muttered, "We can't get outta here with all these cops! "he unlocked the door, which made no noise, and grabbed ahold of their bags. He tossed Huey and Riley theirs, while slinging his over his shoulder and handing Rummy his. He closed the door quietly, and went around the front in silence, snapping off the license plate. Rummy had pried off the one in the back, and had shoved it into his bag to hide it.

"What're we gonna do? "Riley whispered to Ed. He and Huey were looking at the scene in front of them, and their options did not look good; the building was being bombarded with cops, and the surrounding area was blocked off, making it impossible to slip by unnoticed, especially in their attire. Ed shrugged, "We'll just have to make a run for it. "he turned to the girls, "Let's get y'all outta here, you called your car? "Jazmine nodded.

The six turned around and left the same way they'd came in, following the girls now, as quietly and quickly as possible. A helicopter flew over them, and they had to stop for a moment to wait for a few more cops on foot to pass by, but were able to jump out through the same hole and raced across the street into an alleyway. They hid behind a dumpster and tried to catch their breaths. "He's c-coming, "Jazmine gasped for air. She and Cindy leaned against a wall, taking in the coolness of the brick.

A few seconds later, just as Jazmine had said, a large SRT Durango pulled up, black as night. The windows were heavily tinted, and Huey and Riley couldn't see who was driving it. However, they were pushed forwards by Rummy; he was forcing them into the car. "Oh no you—, "Cindy tried to object, but Ed gave her a pleading look. Before either girls' could consent, Rummy had shoved the two boys into the backseat of the car, following them in. Ed raced around the front and jumped into the passenger's side, and Jazmine and Cindy jumped in after Rummy and slammed the door shut.

The driver, who never turned around, began edging forwards, trying to not look suspicious. It wasn't all too difficult; the cops were too focused on the building and the people trying to escape to notice the car turn a corner and take off down the street, veiled by the dark of the night.

Huey and Riley were in the very back, gasping for breath. They hadn't gone through something like this in years, and running that much made both boys want to throw up, but they forced themselves to sit up in their seats instead. They were drenched in sweat, and Huey began pulling off his jacket along with Riley. The two glanced up and were met with the hardened gaze of two very angry looking young women. Huey gulped, "H-hey Jazmine. "

* * *

They drove in silence, and ended up at another part of town. The whole time, no one dared say a thing, which made the drive even more awkward and terrifying at the same time. The driver stopped the car, "We'll get out here for now, "Jazmine said, breaking the silence. She opened the backseat door and stepped out into the cool night air. She had to take a few deep breaths to try and calm her quickening heartbeat. She was followed by Rummy and Cindy, and Huey and Riley hopped out as quickly as they could. Ed had also exited the car. They were in another alleyway, and Riley sighed, wiping sweat off of his brow, "Goddamn, "he muttered, totally beat.

Huey happened to turn Jazmine's way when he spotted her hand moving back to her purse slowly, her eyes trained on him. Without hesitation, he pulled out his gun once more and shoved Riley forcefully, getting his attention. Riley, who was trying to catch his breath, realized what was going on and reacted accordingly. Huey pointed his gun at Jazmine, and Riley managed to pull his out as well, aiming for Cindy. He barely had to time to even think about what was going on, he just knew that this mean danger. Cindy joined, cracking her neck as she pointed her gun at Riley, and now the four stood face to face, pointing their guns at one another and giving each other hardened glares.

It got eerily quiet. Everything around them seemed to stop. Suddenly, Huey was very aware of how chilly it was, and the dark was starting to get to Riley as he blinked, trying to steady his vision. Ed and Rummy inhaled at the same time sharply, realizing that this had not gone as planned. Gently, Ed touched Cindy's shoulder, "Now c'mon…, "he tried, but Cindy interrupted him, "Why the FUCK did you bring THESE two? "she demanded sharply, her voice like venom. She glared at Riley, "And where the fuck did these two pop up from? "

Jazmine looked Huey up and down, but it wasn't in a good way, "Give me a reason why I shouldn't shoot you dead, "she demanded, although it was a rhetorical question. Huey and Riley stood there in silence, their bodies rigid. Slowly, Huey reached up to remove his glasses. Riley saw his brother's movements from the corner of his eye, and did the same. Both girls shifted their weight as they watched, waiting for the slightest inconsistent movement. As they removed their glasses, their eyes were closed, and suddenly, they were open.

Jazmine felt her heartbeat quicken as she stared into Huey's mesmerizing, wine colored eyes for the first time that night. They were the same eyes she remembered from her childhood, the same eyes that could stare directly into her soul. Cindy felt her heart skip a beat as she instantly recognized the playful look in Riley's eyes, although they were hardened in the moment. This was Riley...but Cindy refused to give in to Riley's eyes ever again. She needed to be strong, like Jazmine, even though everything in her mind was telling her to stop. Jazmine mentally cursed herself as she realized how weak her arm was becoming, and she blinked, averting her gaze slightly, "Who the fuck do you think you are? "she demanded, but it was directed at Huey. Cindy shifted her weight slightly, her grip never faltering on her gun, "Say something damn it! "she now ordered.

Huey licked his dry lips, "I don't have a reason, "he replied smoothly, his silky voice wrapping around Jazmine. She shook her head, and he continued, "I don't have a reason, you probably should shoot me. "

"Nigga what the fuck, "Riley snapped, turning his head slightly to look at his brother, his eyes narrowing, "Why the fuck…shut yo damn mouth! "he hissed, but Huey shook his head, "I don't have any reason why you shouldn't shoot me Jazmine, "and then, to Riley's bewilderment, Huey slowly lowered his gun. Riley groaned, "Nigga are you fuckin' crazy?! "he only tightened his grip on his own gun, getting ready to fire, "We got two pissed off females pointing guns at us and you choose NOW to be stupid? "Huey only ignored his brother's pleas, his eyes locked on Jazmine. Realizing that Huey was not going to change his mind, Riley shifted his weight slightly, and lowered his own gun, too.

Cindy and Jazmine were shocked. Jazmine's jaw dropped slightly, and Cindy's eyes widened. They hadn't expected the two to just give up so easily, especially since Jazmine just saw Huey kill two people less than twenty minutes ago. They could easily start shooting, they could easily fight back, but they weren't. They were trying to make peace. "Jaz, Cin…, "Rummy said, forcing the four to remember that they had two other people watching them, "Now's not the time to get revenge. Y'all can do whatever you want later…but right now, they need to get back to their granddad. "he approached the two girls with Rummy, giving them both hardened but pleading looks. "Granddad? "Cindy arched a brow, chuckling slightly, "He's still alive? "

"Barely, "Riley shot back, "Why do you think we're here? He wants to die here already. "he looked down, not wanting to meet Cindy's gaze. Cindy felt her voice catch in her throat, and she realized that she had nothing to say. She cursed herself mentally; after all these years, Riley was still the only man who could ever make Cindy question what she was doing. Jazmine was confused, she had no idea what to do. In a situation like this, she would've already shot Huey and Riley dead and would've been on her merry way. This was Huey...the Huey who left her. Those memories made Jazmine itch; she wanted to kill him. She wanted to watch the life leave his eyes as he died by her hand. She wanted to leave that alleyway knowing that she had gotten her revenge, that she could now move on from Huey Freeman. But the more she stared into his eyes, the more she couldn't bring herself to pull the trigger.

After what seemed like an eternity, Jazmine lowered her gun, her eyes trained solely on Huey. Cindy groaned beside her, but followed Jazmine's lead and put hers away, too.

Huey released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Ed and Rummy also looked relieved, but became rigid again as Jazmine slowly approached Huey. Cindy hung back, not wanting to get anywhere near Riley, but she secretly looked Riley up and down, taking in his change in appearance. He had definitely grown up, although he still sported the same cornrows. She noticed the studs he had in his ears; he still had his ears pierced after all these years. His eyes were trained on her, and she could feel him staring at her and gawking, to which she smirked at. She straightened herself up and crossed her arms over her chest, giving Riley a glare.

Jazmine eyed Huey subtly; he had changed…a lot. Huey was a little taller than she'd last remembered, and had a beard now. His afro was still just as big as hers, and his eyes were still the same intoxicating wine-color she fell in love with as a teenager. She stepped in front of him, having to look up at him even in heels. She got so close to him she could smell his cologne. "I don't know where you went, "she began, her voice laced with anger, "and I don't know why you left. But I don't care, "she turned to look at Riley, too, before turning her attention back to Huey, "but I want you both GONE. "she said the last word with such force that it took Huey aback slightly, "Woodcrest isn't your home anymore, "she went on, "Woodcrest belongs to us. "she gestured to herself and Cindy. Huey felt his heart clench up and shatter all in that moment, and all he wanted to do was beg for forgiveness. However, he regained his composure, "We were only staying for the funeral, "he shot back, trying to match her level of intensity, "don't worry. "

Jazmine scoffed, but she didn't say anything else. Instead, she turned and stormed away, her heels clicking against the cement. Cindy followed behind her, never once turning back around. They walked down the alleyway and rounded a corner, and Huey and Riley spotted the same car drive up. Cindy hopped into the back while Jazmine climbed into the passenger's side, and the car took off, leaving the four men.

Finally, Huey and Riley felt like they could breathe again. They sighed, and Huey leaned up against a wall, inhaling deeply. Riley wanted to punch something, but he instead pressed his forehead against one of the cool brick walls around them and began to count to ten. Ed and Rummy eyed each other before looking back at the brothers, "Well, y'all are lucky, "Ed mused, and Huey groaned, "Shut up. "Rummy nodded, "Ed's right, "he added, "had you been anyone else, Jazmine would've shot ya. "Riley rolled his eyes, "So why didn't they shoot us? "he asked smartly. Ed shrugged, "I dunno, "he answered honestly, "But they didn't, and that's what's important. "

They had to hail a taxi to get back to the hotel, since they'd left Ed's car back in the lot, "We're sorry about your car, "Huey apologized as they sat in the taxi with the two men. Ed and Rummy were being dropped off first, "Don't worry about it, "Ed waved it off, "That's like my fourth car this month. "Riley bit back a chuckle, and Huey nodded. After Ed and Rummy were dropped off, Huey and Riley were taken back to their hotel. They stepped out of the car after paying the driver, and they reeked of booze and gunpowder. They trudged into the hotel lobby, making their way over to an elevator and stepping inside. They punched their floor number and waited, slouching against the wall, "What time is it? "Riley asked. Huey glanced at his phone, "Eleven, "he muttered.

Riley groaned, "It isn't even that late but I'm beat, "they hit their floor and stepped off of the elevator. The hallway was quiet, and there were no sounds coming out of any of the other hotel rooms. They made their way to their rooms as silently as they could, and quietly stepped inside.

Robert was asleep in his room. He'd left the TV on some kind of food show, but was snoring away comfortably in his bed. He'd changed, and had obviously eaten something, before passing out. After checking on him, the two boys separated into their own rooms. Huey raced into his bathroom to take a much needed shower, basking in the scalding hot water that hit his body. He changed into something more comfortable, and grabbed a snack from the hotel room's mini-fridge. Riley had also showered, and redid his cornrows slightly. Making sure that they didn't smell like a bar, they met up in Huey's room.

"What do you think of all this? "Huey asked Riley absently. Riley made his way over to Huey's bed and sat down. He shrugged, "Nigga, I don't know. Our ex-girlfriends are crime lords. They're killers, trained killers, "Huey thought for a moment, "So are we. "he pointed out. Riley groaned, "Huey, we ain't like them, and never have been, "he shot back, defending himself mainly, "we did what we had to do to survive. They do it cause they wanna. Jazmine doesn't need to be thievin', and neither does Cindy. They come from rich families in the suburbs. They're doin' this for kicks. "Riley rubbed his forehead with his hand, "You heard what they said. It's over, Huey. "

Huey sighed, looking out of the window, "I know it is, "he muttered, "I thought…I thought I could come back and make things right. "Riley shook his head, "Huey, we were gone for seven years, with no explanation. Did you really think that you could just walk back into her life and expect her to throw herself around you? I didn't even hope for that, I knew Cindy was gonna hate me. "Huey nodded, "I knew she'd be angry, "he replied slowly, "but I didn't know she'd basically run a gang after we left. And for the record, I didn't think she'd 'throw herself around me' when we came back...I just wasn't expecting this. "

"She's just doin' her now, "Riley stood up from the bed he'd been laying on as he tried to convince his brother that they needed to leave the situation. "We gotta leave soon man. I know granddad wants to stay another day, but please Huey, let's just leave. "he was pleading with Huey now. Riley rarely ever pleaded with Huey on anything, and Huey knew that he was being serious. Sighing, he nodded, "Yeah. We'll leave tomorrow. "Riley seemed content with Huey's answer and turned around and began walking towards his room when he stopped. Huey watched him, "What is it? "he asked.

Riley chuckled softly, leaning against the door-frame, his back facing Huey, "You remember when this place was home? "he asked in a hushed voice. Huey nodded, "Yeah, I do. "he answered. Riley sighed, "We spent seven years running away in order to come back home, but it ain't even home anymore. It's like Jazmine said: Woodcrest isn't our home anymore, it belongs to them. "and with that, he slunk back into his hotel room, shutting the door behind him.

Huey contemplated on his brother's words, and he knew he was right. There was no way that they'd ever be able to stay in Woodcrest, not anymore. There was no home left for them in Woodcrest, nowhere for them to go. They didn't belong in Woodcrest anymore, because this wasn't the Woodcrest they grew up in. This was Jazmine's and Cindy's world now, they were the ones calling the shots. Huey knew that if they overstayed their welcome, they wouldn't make it back to New York. It pained Huey to know this, to know that he had lost Jazmine forever. The woman he would dream about spending the rest of his life with was now a murdering criminal who wanted nothing to do with him, and all he could do was accept this. Huey made his way over to his window and stood by it, staring outside into the darkness that hid the secrets of everyone, including Huey and Riley.

* * *

The downtown area had died down a few hours later. The Underworld was effectively raided and cleared out, and the cops soon dispersed, returning to their average lives as average people. The ones that had managed to escape slunk back into their corners of Woodcrest, but at the heart of the city stood two buildings; one that belonged to the Crime Queen Emerald, and one that belonged to the Crime Queen Crystal, the two most powerful and influential crime lords in all of Woodcrest, maybe even in all of Maryland. Their climb to the top was a notorious story, but it was one that neither shared too often.

Jazmine and Cindy sat in Jazmine's penthouse, which was one of the two buildings they now owned. While the two were partners and shared their riches with each other, they both desired their own separate homes to conduct their own affairs in. Living right next door to each other had many perks, and one of them was that they could see each other whenever to discuss important matters. And so now, the two sat across from each other on Jazmine's couch in her lavish apartment, and silence encased them.

Jazmine spared no expense in what she owned, including her home. The floors of her home were sleek wood and polished to perfection. In the living room, the far back wall was nothing but a window, giving her a view of downtown Woodcrest. She had a large, stainless white couch that was curved with a matching ottoman that was a few feet from the couch; the pillows were grey and white with different deigns and styles. She had a large flat screen TV from Apple that was black, and beneath it was a small area where she had movies, games, and other devices for her TV. Her kitchen had marble counters and stainless steel appliances. She had a crystal chandelier that hung in the living room, and several lamps that had crystal-like covers. Her walls were decorated with pictures, and one wall in particular was prized by her the most.

It was in the living room, the farthest right wall. She had framed news paper articles, pictures, and so on…of her crimes. Well, hers and Cindy's, but mainly her crimes. Bank robberies, heists, assaults, drugs, larceny, fraud, smuggling, and murders. It was a wall Jazmine loved to look over and review, reminiscing on her past and planning for her future. This was what Jazmine had become; a planner, planning out the actions she and Cindy would take. Cindy became the enforcer; she saw to it that Jazmine's thought out plans were executed exactly how they should be, word for word. But tonight, as she and Cindy sat across from each other in a dangerous eye lock, their minds were on more pressing matters instead of their accomplishments.

"Where did they come from? "Cindy asked Jazmine. Jazmine scoffed, "How am I supposed to know? They disappeared like seven years ago Cin, fell off the face of the Earth and never even gave us a phone call. We had no way of tracking them down, and by the time we could've, it was already too late. "they sat there for a moment, and Jazmine caught a look in Cindy's eyes, "Cindy, no. "she could just feel the emotions pouring out of Cindy, "Jaz…, "

"No Cin, "Jazmine already knew what Cindy was going to suggest, and she didn't want to hear any of it, "I already told them to leave. If they're not gone by the end of the weekend, they're dead. "she crossed her arms over her chest and closed her eyes slightly. Cindy inhaled slightly; Jazmine's word was law, especially when she was upset. "I know but…, "Cindy sighed, "…I need to know. "

"Need to know? "Jazmine reopened her eyes and arched a brow, and Cindy nodded, "I need to know why Riley left, why he never said anythin' to me beforehand, and why it took seven years for him to come back. "Jazmine sighed, exasperated, "Cindy, why does it matter? "she asked, "He left, Huey left, they broke up with us, what else is there to it? "Cindy shook her head, "You can't tell me you're not...curious. You can't sit there and lie to me tellin' me that you ain't thought about what happened to them. "Jazmine groaned and rolled her eyes, but she had to admit: she was also curious.

Seven years ago, Jazmine and Cindy had kissed their old life goodbye four months after getting dumped by Huey and Riley at the same time. Seven years ago, the Freeman brothers had left Woodcrest for what they had assumed would be forever, and never gave any indications as to why. Seven years ago, Jazmine's heart became hardened forever, while Cindy's secretly longed for closure. After seven years, they finally had the one chance they thought they'd never have; an explanation. But now that it was in front of Jazmine's face, she was reluctant to take it.

Jazmine and Cindy took the break ups...differently. While Cindy's heart longed for closure, longed for peace, Jazmine's became so hardened that she couldn't bring herself to trust or love anyone after Huey. Cindy tried to date, Jazmine didn't. Once they got involved in crime, it was just a downward spiral from there. Neither girl wanted to admit it, but secretly, they lost a part of themselves when Huey and Riley left, and they had spent the past seven years trying to find what they lost, or at least act like they never lost anything in the first place. Their reactions were considered strange; not the reactions themselves, but who reacted in what way. Cindy had always been the badass growing up, she took shit from no one. And yet, when Riley left, it broke her heart so much that she became depressed, sad, and insecure. Jazmine was the sweet, innocent, and optimistic young girl who loved everything about the world. But when Huey left, Jazmine's heart became so broken that she reacted in anger, violence, and hatred. It consumed her.

Acknowledging that they'd lost a part of themselves only made the two feel pathetic. It was like admitting that they had no form of self identity, that without Huey and Riley, they were nothing, which wasn't true to the girls. They had tried to talk it out with each other and other people after the boys initially left, but hearing themselves say those words made them both feel utterly pathetic.

She shook her head, "Cindy, remember what we said all those years ago? We swore we'd move on from this. "Cindy sighed, "Yeah, but…I can't. Not without knowing first, "she gave Jazmine big, pleading eyes, the biggest she could make, and Jazmine groaned, "What if they lie to us? "she asked. Cindy smirked, "We'll make sure they won't. "she flashed Jazmine a sinister grin, and Jazmine had to chuckle, "Okay, okay. We'll find out the truth, and then we'll kill them. "

* * *

 **R &R guys (:**

 **xoxo, Queen**


	7. Taken

**here's the next update y'all**

* * *

" _Huey, you always know how to make me smile. "_

" _Do I? "_

 _Jazmine giggled at his words, "Yes Huey, of course. "she playfully punched him in his shoulder, and Huey chuckled slightly, "I'm just making sure. "he said smoothly. Jazmine gave him her award winning smile and laid back down next to him in his bed. It was a hot summer day in Woodcrest, and the two had spent the previous night and the morning laying in Huey's bed, sleeping and talking._

 _This was a weekend where Huey's granddad, Robert, was away on a date, which he took to staying in hotels rather than bringing his date home to his two noisy grandsons. Currently, Riley was out with Cindy; they were in an on-and-off relationship that had hit a rocky point, but had been able to work on their relationship and had improved it over the past few months._

 _Jazmine rolled over onto her left side, eyes level with Huey's, "How did you sleep last night? "she asked, running a hand over his face. Huey reached up to grab her hand, and he kissed it, "I slept fine, "he replied simply, evenly. Jazmine nodded, "I did too. "_

 _She then sat back up. She kicked her legs over the side of the bed and stood, walking towards Huey's door. Huey didn't bother to stop her, and she left the room silently. A few moments later, she returned. She resumed sitting on the bed, and Huey sat back up. She held a towel in her hand, and Huey placed one of his rough hands on one of her dainty ones, "Are you ready? "he asked. Jazmine nodded, but she chuckled, "I have to be, don't I? "_

 _She pulled out a thin pregnancy test from the folds of the towel. Nodding at Huey, she forced herself to quickly look down._

 _Her head popped back up and she laughed loudly, to Huey's surprise, "It's negative, "she sighed in relief, "God, it's negative. "Huey also had to sigh in relief, and he reached over to pull Jazmine into a loving embrace. "Well, that's good, "he said, and Jazmine nodded, "Hell yes that's good. I can't get pregnant now, we're barely about to be seniors in high school! "_

 _She pulled away and flopped back down onto Huey's bed, "I can't believe we just went through that, "she admitted, staring up at the ceiling. Huey laid back down beside her, running a hand over her stomach, "What if it had been positive? "he asked. Jazmine only shrugged, "I don't know, "she replied quietly, "I…I just don't know. "Huey nodded._

 _Gently, he leaned over Jazmine's face and placed a small, delicate kiss on her forehead. Jazmine breathed in the scent of his body wash, "I love you, Huey, you know that right? "she said. Huey nodded, "Of course Jazmine, you tell me almost every day. "_ _Jazmine smiled up at him, "You think we'll get married? "she asked. "This is our senior year, our last year of high school. "Huey chuckled, "I'm aware of that, Jazmine, "he replied, resting his head back down on his pillow, "but we're too young to talk about getting married right now, "he went on._

 _Jazmine nodded, "Yeah, yeah, I know, but…for the future, "she gave him a hopeful smile, "you think we'll get married? "Huey grinned at her, "Well, we are still seventeen…, "he seemed to be thinking, and Jazmine giggled at his 'thinking face' he made, "give me another ten years, and I'll ask you. "he finished. Jazmine's face lit up, "Really? Only ten? "_

" _Yeah, we'll be 27 by then, "he replied, "by then, we should be at least acting like adults and not dependent on living at home. "she giggled, "well, you might be an independent person by then…but you know I'd love to stay home for college. "she mused. Huey rolled his eyes, "Yeah right, Jaz, "but he smiled at her anyways._

" _So ten years? "she smiled softly._

 _Huey kissed her soft lips, "Ten years. "_

The room was dark and hazy. There was no light coming in. The room was freezing, which was how it normally was, but that night it was getting real close to hitting 0 degrees. At least, that's how it felt. In the cold air, a pillow fell onto the floor, and then another.

Suddenly, Jazmine popped up from her bed, breathing hard. While it was dark, the room seemed even darker in her blurry vision. Sighing, Jazmine forced herself to turn on the lamp next to her bed. It lit up her area with a soft, white light, and now she could see a lot better than before.

Groggily, Jazmine now forced herself to stand. She slipped on a pair of purple slippers and pulled on a fuzzy grey robe and padded out of her bedroom. She made her way to the kitchen, and poured herself a glass of water. She then returned to her bedroom and sat back down on her plush bed, glass in hand. She wanted to lay back down, but she didn't want to fall back asleep if it meant having those dreams again.

Jazmine rolled her eyes and mentally cursed herself. Those dreams she had were memories, and they were memories that she tried to forget. That particular memory happened eight years ago, when she and Huey had their one and only pregnancy scare the summer before their senior year. A part of her secretly wished that she had been pregnant, because at least if she'd been pregnant, Huey might've stayed, or at least taken her with him. Jazmine groaned, "Jazmine Dubois, stop it, "she scolded herself aloud, "you don't need to be thinking about that, you haven't dreamed like that in months. "

It would be a lie if Jazmine said she never thought about Huey, because she did. She always did. He was always in the back of her mind, nagging her with endless memories that dated back to their first encounter at the age of ten. Jazmine had eight years worth of memories to think about, dream about, and try to forget about.

Jazmine hadn't dreamed about Huey in months…but seeing him for the first time in seven years at that club really sent her over the edge. A part of her was angry, beyond angry, but there was another part of her that was happy, glad, rejoiceful; this was the part of her that she kept locked away, the part of her that was still hopelessly, madly, and endlessly in love with Huey Freeman.

Huey had never mistreated her during their entire relationship. He was a gentleman, the perfect boyfriend. He took her out on dates, respected her, loved her, and so on. They were so close and so in love that they were planning a future together; Jazmine was going to become a veterinarian and he was going to become a lawyer. They would make money, buy a house somewhere in Woodcrest, have three kids and two dogs, and live comfortably for the rest of their lives. As she thought about this, Jazmine swirled the water in her glass absently, staring at the ground. A small smile crept onto her lips at the memory of her broken future with Huey, but she forced herself to frown.

Jazmine gave her all to Huey for years. She did nothing but love him and support him in everything he did, and this was her repayment? This was how she was thanked? It infuriated her to even think that, to even think about how much he hurt her, and how little he seemed to care.

Cindy needed answers, begged Jazmine to help her get them, and now Jazmine needed them too. Jazmine needed to know why they'd left, why Huey broke her heart, and then she could kill him.

* * *

Huey and Riley were making one last pit stop before their flight later on that day. It was Sunday, and their flight wouldn't be leaving until 5. Both boys were still trying to wrap their heads around what had transpired the night previous, and honestly, most of it was a blur. The club, the lights, the strippers, the drinks. The whole experience was hazy, but there was one thing that was forever burned into their minds: the sight of Jazmine and Cindy.

It was crazy to even think about the fact that Jazmine and Cindy were crime lords, but to realize that it was reality was insane. Both had to admit; the girls were pretty fierce and unstoppable. But to know that they had been willingly injecting themselves into crime was worrying, even though they both knew that they had no right to be worried at all.

Ed and Rummy had called them that morning to check on them, and Huey promised that they were okay. Ed was also pretty shocked about what Huey had done the night before - killing cops in cold blood - and was even more shocked to discover that neither Huey nor Riley were all too concerned about the incident. However, they promised to meet up with them before their flight left to say goodbye formally, and probably forever.

At around noon, Huey and Riley left Robert in their hotel rooms to go on a food run. Huey wore a pair of grey Adidas joggers with a black Adidas hoodie and his Gucci slides with socks. Riley wore black sweatpants and a black zip-up hoodie from Nike, along with some black Nike Roshes. They stood in front of the hotel for ten minutes arguing over what to eat before finally deciding on Burger King. They hailed a taxi, and located the nearest one to the hotel. However, they were told that they would have to get off, so reluctantly, they did. They paid the taxi driver, and he took off.

"Damn, can't even give us a ride back? "Riley muttered, following Huey into the restaurant. Huey shrugged, "He's not obligated to stay, although I would've paid him extra. It's his loss. "they made their way inside and found themselves staring at a long line of people. There were at least nine people that looked like they were waiting in line, the rest were standing about idly, waiting for their orders. There were children sitting in tables and booths to the left, and were talking to each other and screaming. Riley whistled, "Damn, "he muttered, "do we really wanna wait? "

"We're already here, and we have no ride yet, "Huey pointed out, "might as well just wait. "

Riley groaned inwardly, but nodded. They made their way to the back of the line. Surprisingly, the line began to move quickly, and before they knew it, they were only behind three more people in front of them before it was their turn.

Huey felt someone bump into him from behind, and he heard a gasp. As soon as it'd happened, he could hear the person who'd run into him begin to apologize: "Oh, sorry there…, "the voice said lowly. Riley's ears twitched slightly; he recognized the voice. Turning around, he spotted the last person he'd ever thought they'd see.

"Tom? "Riley arched a brow. Now Huey turned around, his eyes growing wide, "To-err, Mr. Dubois? "Huey was staring into the eyes of a very tired looking Tom Dubois, and he couldn't believe that it was Tom. Huey's image of Tom from years ago was very different from this current one. The current Tom had graying hair already, and wrinkles had formed on his face. His eyes were dull and muddy, and he slouched over as he stood. He still wore a black suit, although it was wrinkled and faded. He eyed the two boys with little reaction.

"Huey? Riley? "he now arched a brow a stood up a little straighter, "When did you get here? "he asked.

Before they could answer, they were called up to order. After ordering and getting their drinks, they stepped aside and waited for Tom to order. Once he had, they silently followed him to a nearby table, where they sat; Tom on one side, and Huey and Riley on another. Huey awkwardly glanced around, nervous. He had no idea what to do or say, he hadn't expected to run into Tom at all.

"When did you get here? "Tom asked again. Riley inhaled sharply, "Uh, Friday. For Ruckus's funeral, "he replied. Tom nodded, "Oh yes, I wasn't able to go to the funeral, but I did go to the reception, "he said. Huey nodded, "We didn't get to stay for that part. "

They sat there for a few seconds of more awkwardness, with Huey trying to avert his gaze every time Tom would stare at him. Finally, Riley spoke: "You know about Jazmine, right? "he asked stupidly. At this, Tom's brow furrowed, and his jaw clenched, "Yes, I do. "he said coldly, "I know what she is, and part of why she did it, "his gaze averted to Huey for a split second before returning to meet Riley's gaze, "and no, I don't condone it. Why do you think Sarah and I divorced? "

"Wait, she said on Friday that y'all just didn't link up anymore, "Riley said, and Tom scoffed, "Is that what she told you? Ugh, Sarah has become such a liar since finding out about Jazmine, and that's also one of the reasons why I divorced her; she wouldn't tell me the truth about my own daughter. "Huey cocked a brow, "What do you mean by that? "

Tom sighed, and he rubbed his eyes with a shaky hand, "After you and your brother left, Jazmine started going out…a lot, "he got an uncomfortable look on his face, "Soon, she was sneaking out behind our backs, and I knew something was wrong. I knew about the breakup you two had, but that couldn't have been the sole reason she was acting out, it just couldn't. I thought that maybe it was because of her friend, Cindy. She was always one to get into trouble back then. "he cracked his neck slightly, "Sarah and I didn't know what to do. I was working a lot when the crime wave hit, and Sarah took on hobbies and joined clubs because I was gone so much. Jazmine had the freedom to do whatever she wanted. "

"Why did Sarah lie to you though? "Huey asked. Tom grunted as he changed positions in his seat, "I didn't know the magnitude of Jazmine's trouble until I caught her sneaking in a lot of money into the house. I told Sarah, and we reprimanded her as best as we could, but she kept doing it, only I didn't know about it, "he shook his head, "I found out months later that Sarah was condoning it. She was basically letting Jazmine go out and rob banks and steal from people, because Jazmine would give her some of the cash. I was working too often to notice the new things Sarah and Jazmine would buy with their cash, and the only reason I found out about it was because the police came to our door to arrest Jazmine. "

Huey and Riley gawked at Tom; they had no idea that Sarah had actually allowed Jazmine to participate in stuff like that. Then again, it did explain a lot. Tom continued; "Jazmine got out of jail on bail, and I filed for a divorce. Sarah didn't really seem too upset by it; she was more focused on Jazmine's new way of getting money. I couldn't get through to Jazmine, and I couldn't stay with Sarah any longer, so I left. "

"Where did you go? "Riley asked. Tom shrugged, "I made good money, so I was able to get my own apartment. Sarah sold the house and moved across the city after Jazmine began making it big I guess, I just know she sold the house. "he shook his head, "There was nothing I could do, "he admitted, "Jazmine was doing this on a regular basis, and I couldn't just turn her in, she's my daughter. "

"So you just walked away? "Huey asked in disbelief. Tom hung his head, "Yes, I did. I walked away. "he sighed, "I had hoped that after getting arrested a few times, Jazmine would realize that what she was doing is dangerous and would stop. But of course, she never did. I haven't seen Jazmine in months, but last time I met up with her, she was the leader of some kind of gang. "he shrugged.

Huey's jaw dropped, "What the fuck, "he cursed, and Riley elbowed him, and the two exchanged a glance that went unnoticed by Tom; they decided in that moment to not tell him about their own experience with the girls, not now, anyways. They instead sat there a moment, processing the information. Finally, a worker came over and handed Huey and Riley their food. Together, the stood up, and Tom did as well, "Well, thank you for telling us something about what's been going on. "he said sincerely, "We met Sarah Friday, and she refused to tell us anything about Jazmine or Cindy. "

Tom didn't look surprised, "Jazmine helps support Sarah. Sarah still works, I think, but Jazmine buys Sarah a lot of things because Sarah basically tells her that what she's doing it okay. I'm sure she lives somewhere pretty nice now, she may have become nervous that she would reveal Jazmine's secrets. "Huey nodded. They shook hands, and the two boys left.

"Can you believe this shit? "Riley asked as they called up another taxi. Huey shook his head, "No…I never even thought someone like Sarah would actually condone Jazmine's actions, you remember how straight laced she was? "Riley nodded, "Yeah, I remember exactly who she...used to be. "neither said anything more after that. They had to wait a few minutes before another taxi pulled up. They climbed in, and the driver took off. In the backseat, the two boys began silently eating as their stomachs growled, and by the time they'd reached the hotel, they were almost done with their food.

Huey gave the guy money, and they hopped out of the car, the remaining food in their hands. Quickly, they made their way inside, past dozens of people and workers, before they jumped into an open elevator and punched their floor number. "I know what you're thinking, "Huey said to Riley in the elevator. Riley shrugged, "What's that? "he asked.

"How did any of this happen? "Huey said grimly, and Riley had to chuckle softly, "Yeah, you right. But really, would it ever be any less? "he asked. Huey shook his head, "No, I suppose not. "

They made it to their floor, "Now what? "Riley asked as they began walking. Huey shrugged, "We go back to New York now, "he replied grimly, "we still have business meetings with the Valentina's, I have a business to run, you have murals to paint, we just…continue on. "Riley shook his head, "I thought when we'd come back, we'd have a chance to—, "he was cut off as he ran into Huey, who had stopped dead in his tracks.

"Ow! Nigga, what the fuck…, "but as he peered over Huey's shoulder while rubbing his nose, his eyes widened.

The door to their grandfather's room was cracked open slightly. Riley's breath caught in his throat as Huey approached cautiously, signaling Riley to follow. Riley complied, and they edged towards the door as quietly as they could. As soon as they had, Huey turned to look at Riley, and Riley nodded.

In one swift motion, Huey had pushed the door open and barged inside, tossing his bags to the floor. Riley followed him, and raised up his own fists in preparation for a fight. However, when they'd entered, it was eerily silent. The two glanced around as they slowly made their way further into the room, scanning their surroundings, "Granddad? "Riley called out. Huey made it to the bedroom portion first, and began searching the room, looking for anything out of the ordinary.

"Check around, "Huey ordered Riley, "There has to be something here that will tell us something. "as Huey searched through the closet and bed, Riley decided to head into their grandfather's bathroom. The lights were off, so as soon as he'd opened the door, he flipped them on.

Huey heard Riley nearly scream. Jolting up, Huey rushed over to the bathroom, "Riley? Riley what happ—, "but he didn't get to finish his sentence. Once he'd made it to the bathroom, he pushed Riley aside and prepared to connect his fist with an intruder's face, but instead he was stopped dead in his tracks once again and was left speechless. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

Riley backed away, eyes still wide in disbelief, "No fuckin' way…, "he choked, shaking his head, "Huey, what the fuck is that?! "

There was nothing wrong with the bathroom itself, but there was something new—and familiar—on the wall across from the door. It was above the toilet, and as the two stared at it, it became more crazy looking.

It was a symbol smeared onto the once clean beige bathroom wall in a dark red paint, which they knew was supposed to liken to blood. The symbol was a snake woven around the letter A, fangs bared and ready to strike. Parts of the symbol were bleeding down the wall, turning the painting into a huge mess, but the boys had already gotten the message.

Huey turned around to Riley, who's face had grown pale; Huey imagined he looked worse, "Nigga…what the FUCK is that? "Riley demanded again, voice cracking. Huey's eyes narrowed slightly, "How the fuck am I supposed to know Riley? "he shot back angrily. Dazed, Riley stormed back into the bedroom area and began pacing frantically, "What the fuck...what we gonna do? "

"I told you...this wasn't a good idea, "Huey mumbled to himself. Riley heard him, though, and proceeded to panic, "Oh shit...we...we..., "it sounded like he was stumbling to find the words to say, "We gotta go find him! Where the fuck...they couldn't have gone far nigga, lets go before-, "he was about to leave the room when Huey grabbed his arm and yanked him back, "Riley, shut up! "he hissed, glancing around. There was a moment of silence before he spoke, "We have to leave. "he said lowly.

"Leave? Leave where, Woodcrest? "Riley sounded shocked, but Huey shook his head, "No idiot, we have to leave this hotel, "he snapped. He turned around, "Pack yours and granddad's things while I get mine. We have to leave this hotel now. "

"What about that? "Riley pointed to the bathroom, which was code for the symbol. Huey sighed, "It'll be too runny to be legible. No one will be able to tell what it is by the time we get outta here. "and with that, he raced off into his own room.

Twenty minutes later, the two were hauling their things into the lobby area. Huey stopped at the front desk to return their keys, "Wait for me outside, "he ordered Riley, "they should already be there. "Riley arched a brow, "Who? "but Huey only gestured for him to move along. Huffing, Riley picked up his and their grandfather's things and made his way outside…and was greeted by Ed.

Riley was more than relieved when he spotted a familiar face, "Ed, "he breathed as he approached. He accidentally dropped a bag, and Ed rushed over to pick it up. "Came as soon as Huey called, "he said, looking past Riley. Riley turned around and was met by Huey, who nodded towards Ed's way, "Thank you, I had no idea who else to call. "

"Of course, "Ed nodded reassuringly, "you know we can help you. What did you say happened again? "Huey felt his chest tighten at the question, "Our grandfather's missing, "Huey replied, his voice wavering. However, his eyes narrowed, "And we know who took him. "

* * *

"You sure we should go to them? "Riley asked. Ed nodded, "It's the only thing we really can do right now, "he replied. "Thanks again, "Huey said to Ed. Ed nodded, "Don't worry, "he assured the two, "we're gonna get him back. "The two brothers sighed from the backseat, on edge; Huey was full of fear, just like Riley; they hadn't planned on asking Ed and Rummy for help like this, but they really had no one else to help them. Of course, both Ed and Rummy had decided to lead the two boys to the most influential people in Woodcrest crime: Jazmine and Cindy, aka Emerald and Crystal.

Ed drove the group to a building near the heart of Woodcrest, yet untouched by everyone and everything around it. This was where Jazmine and Cindy mainly operated, and saw out their endeavors.

They arrived at the building and parked in a parking garage right next door. Leaving their things in Ed's car, they were ushered into the building. On the outside, it looked like any common building; tall, black, large windows that were heavily tinted, and the main lobby looked no different than any other lobby. They approached a front desk, and after Ed had scanned some kind of ID, they were allowed to enter the main areas of the building, and board an elevator that would lead them to the upper levels.

As soon as they'd made it past the front desk, Huey and Riley began to see the differences that made this building illegal. For starters, they happened to walk past an angry looking man in a silk purple suit and a fedora, who was in a heated argument with another man, this one in a darker purple suit and had gold chains around his neck. The first man cursed, "The fuck ya think you is? "he demanded from the second man. The second man rolled his eyes, "Slickback, just keep yo bitches off of my track, my girls run those areas. "he warned.

The first man, Slickback, scoffed, "Nigga I am a Pimp Named Slickback and I does what I wanna do and I go wherever the fuck I wanna go! And if my best bitch Cristal over here wants to walk that track then best believe she's gonna walk that track. "

They walked away from the heated conversation, which was broken up by a man in a suit and tie. They headed to an elevator, and Ed punched in a floor number, "I told them y'all were comin', and Rummy came first to try and ease them into helping y'all. "he informed the two. Riley nodded, "Thanks, "he mumbled. Truth be told, he was still in shock over what had just happened, and knew that if anything happened to his grandfather, he wouldn't know what to do anymore.

The elevator dinged, and they were let off. They entered a long hallway that was rather dark, with only a few lights here and there. They went a few doors down before Ed stopped in front of one of the doors, Huey and Riley behind him. He turned to look at the door, putting his hand on the knob, "Are you two ready? "he asked, giving the boys a concerned look. They both nodded simultaneously. Ed gave the two a pinched expression before turning the knob and opening the door.

They were in some kind of meeting room. There was a long, black table with black chairs. The walls were a pale grey, and the floors were a dark hardwood color. The back wall was a large window. There were a few pictures and decorations here and there, but it mainly looked like a business office.

Standing by the window was Cindy, who turned around to glare at the two. She wore a pair of tight jeans and a yellow tube top with a pair of nude heels. Her blonde hair was pulled back into two familiar Dutch braids, and she wore makeup. She had sunglasses perched atop her head, and she popped a gum in her mouth. Sitting at the head of the table was Jazmine, who pad the boys no mind as they entered. She wore a tan dress that reached just below her knees and was extremely tight. She had no sleeves, baring her shoulders for everyone to see. She had her afro loose atop her head, and she also wore makeup and heels, only hers were a darker color. She was sitting upright, and in front of her lay an unloaded gun.

Siting at the table was Rummy, who looked very tired. He spotted the two and stood up, ready to walk to their side, but Ed shook his head, signaling him to sit back down. However, he had an uneasy look on his face, and he continued to glance from Jazmine to her gun and then back to the boys.

Huey and Riley stopped at the other end of the table, as far from Jazmine and Cindy as they could. There was an unbearable silence, before finally Ed spoke, "We just need some help, "he addressed the two girls. Cindy crossed her arms over her chest, "And why should we help? "she demanded.

Ed gulped, "Because someone innocent is going to get hurt if you don't. "he explained. Cindy glanced at Jazmine, who in turned inhaled sharply. She stood up, showing off her full figure and curves, "Fine, we'll help. "a sly smile spread across her face, "However, this isn't going to be for free. "she eyed the two boys across from her, particularly Huey, "A favor for a favor. We do this favor for the two of you, and then you will help us with something we need to do. Do we have an agreement? "she clicked her tongue, waiting for an answer.

Riley glanced at Huey, who looked at him for a split second before turning back to Jazmine. He sighed, and nodded, "Yes, Jazmine, we have a deal. "he replied sharply, his voice low and deep. Jazmine shivered once again and mentally cursed herself, remembering her dream from earlier that morning, "Great. Now tell me, who would want to kidnap your grandfather? "she leaned forwards, resting her hands on the table to support her. Riley glanced over and Huey and shrugged, as if telling him that he had no idea what to say. Huey rolled his eyes at his brother's lack of cooperation.

"We know who claims to have done it, but...we never thought this would've happen so soon, "he shook his head. Jazmine sat back down, "Please, explain, Huey, "she said his name as icily as she could, "we need to know what you know before pursuing this any further. "

Cindy now took a seat beside Jazmine, and the two girls waited for the boys' response. Huey bit the inside of his cheek, shifting his weight uncomfortably, "Back in the day, Riley and I got into a bit of trouble. "he began slowly. "It…it's why we left Woodcrest in the first place. "

Both boys could see Jazmine's and Cindy's eyes darken. Jazmine clenched her jaw, and Cindy had placed her hands on the table and had balled them up into fists, obviously becoming angry at the mention of the past. Huey continued on, "We stumbled into something we shouldn't have…and he wanted us dead for it. "

"Who? "Jazmine asked through gritted teeth. Riley shrugged, "We never really knew his name, but we knew what his nickname was. He'd leave us signs wherever we went, like as a reminder, "he licked his lips, "as a reminder that he was following us, watching us. "he reached into his pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper. Ed came over and took it from him and unfolded it. Arching his brow, he strode over to Jazmine and handed the paper to her. She stared at it, "It's a symbol…, "she said slowly, and Riley nodded, "Yeah, I sketched the one from the bathroom on the way over here, "he explained, "but that's the symbol we would always see. He called himself Azurel. "both boys grimaced at the name, "He wanted us dead, "Riley went on, "but…a couple days ago, we caught a break. "

"Did you? "Jazmine seemed genuinely shocked by the information, and she was. Neither she nor Cindy had ever known why the boys had suddenly departed Woodcrest, and after all these years, they were finally getting an explanation, even if it wasn't the full thing. It was rather difficult to accept, since both girls wanted to be mad at them. But Jazmine could see in Huey's eyes that they were telling the truth. Cindy could see it too, and she knew that she couldn't turn them away now.

"Yeah, "Huey nodded, "about a year ago I hired my own personal hitman to do the work for me. It took him a long time to figure out how to get to this guy, and believe me, this guy was good, "he shook his head, "he had about ten different identities and changed his appearance all the time. It was hard to track him down, but after my guy did, he killed him and made it look like a robbery. "Huey rubbed his head with his hand, "We...I knew that coming here would result in some kind of trouble. While my guy did kill someone who wanted to harm us...he believed that there were more people involved. "

Riley made a face, like he was upset, "It's my fault, "he whispered, "I shouldn't have sided with Granddad when he said he wanted to come back. "he clenched his jaw and balled up his fists, staring at the ground. Huey shook his head, placing a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder, "We would've had to come even if you hadn't sided with him, "he said, "you know how Granddad is, he would've kicked our asses until we said yes. "Riley smirked slightly, but he still felt a pang of guilt rock his body.

"So this man that your guy killed would leave these symbols? "Jazmine asked, interrupting the brother's conversation. Huey nodded, "Yeah, always. Whenever we got one, we'd skip town, and it would be weeks or even months before we got another one. "Huey sighed, "I thought that if we made a name for ourselves, became more well known, that the dude would be unable to really touch us without fear of a lot more repercussions. And I was right. We moved to New York because I found a chance, "he rubbed the back of his head, "I got a chance to work with some of the business officials there, and after a while I got to create my own business with Riley. After we began making a name for ourselves, he seemed to…disappear. Like he knew that if he came for us in New York...it'd be difficult to get to us without causing panic. "

"But now that you've left New York...they're making themselves known. "Cindy furrowed her brow, but then she cracked a small smile, "You must've really pissed someone off for all this to happen. This is some professional ass shit. "

"But, why? "Jazmine prodded, "Why you two? What did y'all do to attract the attention of trained killers? "she crossed her arms over her chest, "I know this isn't over y'all saying something stupid or even acting stupid. You did _something_ to piss someone off so much that they've spent the past seven years trying to get at y'all, but over what? "

Riley and Huey exchanged glances, and Riley shrugged, "Aye man, that's your call, "he said, raising up his hands, "I don't call the shots for these things. "Huey rolled his eyes, "Of course you don't, "he murmured.

Huey turned back to Jazmine, who was waiting for her reply patiently with Cindy. However, he could tell that both girls were on edge, and Jazmine's hand slowly and carefully traced itself over to her gun, her fingertips grazing the trigger with a delicate, yet dangerous, touch. She continued to eye Huey and Riley maliciously, while Cindy looked more curious than anything. They were warning them; don't lie, or you'll die.

Just as Huey was about to speak again, the doors to the room burst open. A young man walked in, his eyes wide and his black hair askew, "Miss Emerald? "he addressed Jazmine, and she stood up, now gripping the gun in her hand, "What is it? "she asked, obviously annoyed. The boy lowered his head slightly, "My apologies, "he said quickly, "But we got word on the package. "

Jazmine and Cindy looked at each other before Cindy took the drawing Riley had made and gave it to the boy, "We'll be right there. But for you, I want you to look for this symbol, "she pointed to the picture, "look for anything that has this symbol somewhere, anywhere. No matter how big or small, just keep digging. "

"Yes ma'am, "the boy nodded, and he scurried away.

Jazmine and Cindy left the room in a rush, and Huey and Riley turned to look at each other in confusion. But Ed had grabbed onto them by their shoulders and pushed them out of the doors.

* * *

A sleek, black Lexus pulled up to an eloquent mansion. The mansion, situated in the northern Heights, was large and imposing. It was situated on nearly twenty acres of land, and had a large, gated fence surrounding the property. Upon entering, there was a large roundabout with a beautifully carved fountain in the center, and then proceeded towards the actual mansion.

The Lexus stopped in front of the mansion, and two workers came down the front steps from the front door and towards the right backseat door. The first worker was a tall African American man with dreads that were tied back and large brown eyes. He wore a simple suit with a bowtie, and shiny shoes. He approached the door and carefully opened it. Extending his hand, a smaller, slender, and delicate hand reached out to grab his. On the other side of the car, the second worker, a shorter Mexican American man with jet black hair and dark brown eyes, took ahold of an equally delicate, yet slightly larger, hand, and pulled out the person attached to the hand. The first man also did the same.

The Mexican American pulled out a tall, beautiful young woman. She had long, sleek golden blonde hair and big blue eyes the color of a clear lake. Her fair skin was smooth looking and perfect, and she was rather tall, taller than the man who helped her out of the car. She wore a black dress that stopped mid thigh with a low-cut neckline and thin straps. She wore black strappy heels and carried a red Louis Vuitton purse, which matched her red lips. She scanned her surroundings, and then turned to her right.

The African American man helped out another young woman, this one younger than the tall blonde. This young woman had long platinum blonde hair and large purplish eyes that glinted in the faint light. She was shorter than the tall blonde by a few inches, and had a smaller frame as well. She wore a dark green jumpsuit that had a square neckline with slightly thicker straps, nude heels, and carried a brown Louis Vuitton mini-purse, which was slung over her shoulders. The second girl turned to her left to eye the first, "Well, what do you think? "she asked.

The first girl smiled, "I think it's pretty nice, "she mused, starting to walk forwards. The second girl followed, and the two workers went to the trunk of the car and began pulling out luggage, "Is your mother really inviting everyone from our family? "she then asked. The second girl nodded, "Yes, unfortunately. All of our cousins, and the family from his side, will be here soon. "she addressed the situation with a certain tone that made the first girl giggle, "What, you don't like him or what? "she asked.

The second girl sighed, "It's not that, he just doesn't get me, you know? He doesn't get us, "she gestured to herself and the first girl, "and our lifestyle. He's always asking why I'm out shopping. "the first girl burst into laughter, "That's just something he'll have to get used to. You think he would be unbothered after a year of being married to your mother. "

As soon as they approached the door, it flung open, and a woman smiled at them from inside the house, "Girls, you're here! "she squealed, reaching out to hug the two, "How is my daughter and niece? "she asked. The tall blonde grunted, "I'm fine, Aunt Val, "she grunted.

The woman, Valerie Greene pulled away from the two girls. Her niece, twenty-five-year-old Veronica Lizaben-Lacroft, gasped for air as she did so, "Mother, you act like I was gone for weeks, "the second girl, twenty-one-year-old Venus Greene, smoothed out a wrinkle in her jumpsuit. Her mother laughed, "Darling, you were gone a whole week! "she exclaimed. She ushered the two inside, and they were followed by the two workers, who now towed their belongings behind them.

Inside, the mansion was quite marvelous. It opened into a foyer, with a high ceiling and a crystal chandelier dangling down elegantly. The floors were polished marble, and there were two staircases on either side that led upwards. There were pictures on the walls and expensive decorations here and there that made the whole place look even more expensive. Valerie began walking further into the house, followed by Venus and Veronica.

"Your sister will be coming soon, "Valerie went on, "she's bringing Vittoria with her as well. Jackson will be coming a day or two late, you know how busy he is with his work. "she chuckled slightly at what she'd said, and continued on.

Veronica smiled, "I haven't seen Vera in a month, "she admitted, "have you heard that they want to have another child? "

"Oh yes, she spoke to me about that the other day on the phone, "Valerie mused, "I hope they do, I want lots of grandchildren! "Venus rolled her eyes at this statement, and Veronica turned to give her a teasing look, "We're gonna go upstairs now mom, "Venus said quickly, knowing full well that once her mother started talking about babies, she would never stop. Valerie nodded, "Yes, yes, I need to go find Mary, "and she began strutting away.

The two cousins turned around and raced for the stairs as fast as they could in heels, the two workers behind them with their luggage. After making it to the second story, they went down several winding halls before landing in front of cream white door, out of breath. The two workers had followed them as quickly as they could, and readjusted themselves once they'd made it to their destination.

"Thank you both, "Venus addressed the two after catching her breath, "We can take them from here. "

"Of course, "the African American nodded. The Mexican American also nodded and scurried away as fast as he could, but the African American lingered. Veronica had opened the door to Venus's room and had stepped inside, but Venus hung back for a moment, her eyes on the remaining worker.

There was an awkward silence, and then it was broken, "I hope you had a nice trip, Miss Venus, "the African American smiled at her sweetly. Venus nodded, "I did, Caesar, thank you. "

Twenty-five-year-old Michael Caesar smiled, "You remembered, "he commented, and Venus blushed slightly, "Well, of course, I know you'd rather be called Caesar, you told me before I left. "he flashed her a heart pounding grin that made Venus almost swoon where she stood. Caesar reached into his pocket and pulled something out of his pocket, "A welcome back gift for you, "he said to Venus quietly, placing it in her hand. Venus smiled and took it, "Thank you so much, Caesar. "

Caesar nodded, still smiling, his eyes never breaking away from her gaze. Then, he turned around and proceeded to stroll down the hallway slowly. Venus took this time to open the small gift he'd given her, wrapped in brown paper. She produced a golden necklace from inside, with the initial C as a pendent. Venus silently screamed in excitement as she looked at it, her face reddening quickly.

Veronica poked her head out of the room, and spotted the necklace. She rolled her eyes, "Did he buy that for you? "she asked. Venus nodded quickly, rushing to put it on, "Yes! It's his initial! "she squealed.

Veronica rolled her eyes once more, and helped Venus put on the necklace as they simultaneously began walking into the room, and Venus pulled her hair up. As she began clasping it together, Veronica spoke: "When are you going to tell your mother than you've been seeing one of her workers? "she asked. "How long has this been going on, two months? "Venus nodded, "Yes, only two months, but he's been working here four months, "she added, "but isn't he just the best? "

Veronica finished clasping the necklace together, and Venus released her hair, letting it fall down her back. She situated the necklace until the pendent was perfectly aligned in between her collarbones, "I suppose, "Veronica replied, "but…he's just a worker, Venus. Don't get so caught up into someone like him. "she made a face; Veronica did not entirely approve of her younger cousin's decision to see one of the men that worked for the house. While he was a rather good looking man, he was just a worker, and probably did not amount to much of anything.

Venus sighed, "I know none of you will think highly of him since he's not like us, but I think he's just amazing. "she smiled as she visualized Caesar in her mind. Veronica rolled her eyes, and grabbed onto her luggage, forcing Venus to take hold of her own. Together, they clamored into Venus's room, and Venus knew exactly what she was going to talk about.

Meanwhile, outside of Venus's door, Caesar stood with his ear against the wall, smiling to himself. He had hidden himself as the two girls talked to each other outside of Venus's room, but had moved himself to outside of her door once they'd entered. He had overheard everything Venus had said to Veronica, and the whole conversation made him grin to himself. Caesar couldn't lie: he had fallen head over heels for Venus, the step daughter to the new mayor of Woodcrest. Caesar knew he shouldn't have, but...

He felt his phone vibrate softly in his pocket. Carefully, he tip toed away from the door, careful to not make a sound. Once he was a good distance away, he pulled out his phone. Staring at the screen, his face instantly fell, and he snapped back to reality, his reality.

 **From Emerald: She's back in town?**

Caesar sighed and replied: **To Emerald: Yes.**

 **From Emerald: Good. You know what to do.**

Caesar clenched his jaw and his grip on his phone tightened. For a moment, he had felt normal. Being with Venus made him feel normal, made him feel like he was just an average guy in a whirlwind relationship with a girl he would've normally had no chance with. But every time he began feeling normal, he'd get a text or a call that reminded him that he wasn't normal, and that he'd never be normal again.

Blowing out some air, Caesar typed a quick reply: **To Emerald: Of course I do.**

* * *

 **Including a few characters from another story in this one. R &R **

**xoxo, Queen**


End file.
